V 37 Issue 5

EAGLE

Going Viral As COVID-19 continues to spread, schools around the world close their campuses, and businesses suffer an economic hit, pages 2-3

illustratioin bu Sumner Wooldrige

April 7, 2020 Vol. 37 • Issue 5 Episcopal School of Dallas

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School sees increase in student diversity, students disagree Affinity clubs, admission’s initiatives and curriculum changes foster student exposure to diversity

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The value of a vote

Seniors evaluate the increasing importance of voting in government elections, encouraging first time voters Field of dreams

The newly finished Globe Life Field beckons to Dallas baseball fans after the inagural game was postponed

News

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

A Global Pandemic All it takes for COVID-19 to spread is a cough. A sneeze. A contaminated surface.

Then—two to 14 days after exposure—the symptoms typically emerge. The respiratory illness is characterized by symptoms, such as shortness of breath, fever and coughing. Complications can be life-threatening—pneumonia in both lungs, multi-organ failure and in some cases, death.

Even more worrying are asymptomatic patients, constituting around 15.5% to 20.2% percent of COVID-19 cases, according to the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. These patients are unaware that they’ve been affected and unwittingly spread the disease to others, putting many at risk. While people of all ages can be affected by COVID-19, most at risk are the elderly, people who are immunocompromised and healthcare workers.

The pandemic is global in nature. As of press time, there were 1,159,515 confirmed cases. According to an April 2 poll of 147 students, 38.8 percent of students know someone who has been infected by COVID-19. Below are three stories from three different locations that have been impacted by COVID-19. story by

jiaying fu

COVID-19

by the numbers more than

1.3 million

people infected worldwide more than

368,000

people infected in the U.S. more than

7,300

people infected in Texas more than

2,350

people infected in North Texas more than

76,370

deaths worlwide more than

10,980

deaths in the U.S. more than

140

deaths in Texas more than

49

deaths in North Texas Source: Johns Hopkins University, nbcdfw.com. April 7, 2020

Shanghai, China Late February

“The Princess situation was a nightmare,” Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line President Bert Hernandez recalled. He was referring to the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 3 after a passenger, who had disembarked in Hong Kong, tested positive for COVID-19.

Labeled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “the largest cluster of COVID-19 cases outside mainland China,” 712 of the 3,711 passengers on the ship tested positive for COVID-19.

“No one thinks it was the right approach to quarantine a ship like that. We still don’t know what happened or how the virus spread so rapidly,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez, a close friend of Head of Upper School Henry Heil, oversees Royal Caribbean’s operations in China.

He and his family reside in Shanghai, China, where they have seen first-hand the impacts of COVID-19.

In late February, at the time of this interview, all operations in Shanghai were closed except for grocery stores and pharmacies.

Residents were strongly encouraged to remain at home, which Hernandez believes caused people to feel “very much isolated and lonely….Because of the nature of this crisis, your neighbor is the threat.”

Today, the amount of COVID-19 new cases outside of China have surpassed cases within China, so Hernandez feels that “people have begun to see that the spread of the virus in China is more or less under control.” He attributes this new trend to the government’s “unbelievable ability to control the population and control the spread of the virus.” In agreement, the World Health Organization described China’s response photo by to COVID-19 as “the most riley breaux ambitious, agile and aggressive

disease containment effort in good given the circumstances, but history.” it’s not as effective as real, in-person “Some of the methods are classes,” Jacquelyn said. “The reality draconian and would be impossible of [the situation] is that we are to tolerate in the U.S., but the sitting in front of our computers results are undeniable,” Hernandez [for more than] five hours at a time, said. “In the U.S., or any other which I doubt is healthy....Online country, the spread could not have school can get really lonely.” been contained in this way.”

Victoria Chong, a sophomore But, he added, that “is now the at the French International School fear”—as the virus spreads globally, of Hong Kong and a friend of other countries will not be able junior Lucy Sinwell, is in a similar to adopt the same containment circumstance. Her school has policies. also been shut down as an act of “This control could not have precaution to prevent the spread of occurred in the U.S.—not only COVID-19, and the students began because of the laws in the U.S. online learning in early January. but also culturally, we don’t follow As of press time, her school has the “rules” in [this] manner,” tentatively planned to reopen on Hernandez said. “We are much April 20. Her school utilizes Google more individualistic and would Hangouts to communicate between question the teachers and government’s peers, and classes wisdom. still operate on IT IS UP TO THE People in the original school CITIZENS, TOO, China see it as schedule. She does their patriotic not believe that TO WEAR MASKS, duty to fight online learning STAY CLEAN AND the virus by has negatively BE CAREFUL, AS I complying impacted THINK SOME DO NOT with the her academic UNDERSTAND THE government’s experience. rules.”

“I think DEGREE OF SITUATION. The spread that if students of COVID-19 were motivated and the enough, each Victoria Chong, failure of the lesson would be sophomore at the Diamond just as productive French International Princess as regular classes,” School of Hong Kong quarantine has Chong said. “I been “a disaster will admit it is for the travel industry, and the difficult to work as hard at home cruise industry has been hit hard,” sometimes since there isn’t as much according to Hernandez. With the supervision.” world’s most expensive ships sitting Her family is partially selfidle for more than a month, he notes quarantining to be cautious. that there are no good decisions to The furthest they travel is to the be made in this type of situation. supermarket downstairs or the “You just have to make decisions mountains next to their apartment based on the welfare of guests and complex. However, she socializes crew, and let the financials take a with her friends through social backseat,” Hernandez said. “You media, phone calls and FaceTime, never want to be in a position where and lately, they’ve come over to her you are second-guessed on safety.” house.

She does not believe that current Hong Kong, China regulations in Hong Kong are Late February enough to limit the spread of Junior Ali Sparrow’s cousin COVID-19.

Jacquelyn Sparrow, a freshman at the “It is up to the citizens, too, Hong Kong International School, to wear masks, stay clean and be first heard about the COVID-19 careful, as I think some do not outbreak during the Chinese New understand the degree of situation,” Year holiday. The news began to go Chong said. around that schools were closed, She is worried about the spread of and students would begin online the virus. schooling—first until Feb. 17...then “It’s quite scary watching the March 16...then April 20. numbers grow larger everyday,” For Jacquelyn, online schooling Chong said. “Honestly, I’m not consists of group video calls for afraid if I get the virus since I am classes still operating on the original still young, and from my research, school schedule. my immune system is likely to “The teachers are putting in a lot fight it off. But, I know if I was of effort, and I think the system is infected, I could spread [the virus]

News //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

to family, friends and others, which is why I am very cautious about the situation.”

Dallas, Texas Late March

On March 12, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson declared a local state of disaster for public health emergency in light of an additional five cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County, one of which could have possibly been caused by community spread.

That Thursday night, Head of School Dave Baad sent an email to the school community, announcing that school would be closed the next day. On March 13, Baad sent a follow-up email that marked the beginning of distance learning and teaching. After spring break, students and teachers would move to education via digital platforms.

Most recently, in an April 2 email, Baad wrote that the distance learning would be extended to May 4. Around 95 percent of students support the online learning precaution taken by the School.

Additionally, on April 3, Dallas County extended the stay-at-home order to May 20. According to an April 5 email from Associate Head of School Ruth Burke, the school community will close out the year through “Milestone Mondays.”

These virtual events will take the place of traditional end-of-year cermonies honoring student achievements, such as the Cum Laude Society and National Honors Society induction ceremonies and the lower, middle and upper school honors assemblies.

School nurse Marcela Biggs said that while inconvenient and disruptive, closing the School helps in the fight to slow the spread of the virus.

“The most important precaution the School took was to close the doors and tell you guys and us not to come to school,” she said. “All schools are a breeding ground for germs. [Slowing down the spread and flattening the curve helps] the healthcare industry keep up….

The final outcome will be much more positive: fewer deaths due to complications, better palliative treatment options and better understanding of the virus itself. It gives us time to be better prepared.”

Heil, Head of Middle School Jonathan Chein, Head of Lower School Tracey Shirey, Academic Dean Eric Boberg and Director of Educational Technology Mary Hansell developed the distance learning program over several weeks. They also offered a series of training opportunities over the two weeks leading up to spring break, which allowed teachers to prepare their lessons.

Online learning has been particularly challenging for some students, such as senior Sofia Weinstein, who is currently concussed due to a car crash.

Doctors have recommended that she limits screen time and schoolwork.

“It’s a little difficult for me to have to sit in front of my screen all day for classes, but with the way the schedule is, I have breaks in between, and my teachers have been super accommodating,” Weistein said.

According to Baad, the school will continue to monitor local and state health guidelines and will reopen the campus when local and state officials determine that gathering in large groups is a healthy activity.

Both the School and Dallas County have taken and encouraged the community to take precautionary measures. The CDC issued social distancing guidelines, which junior Zaria Osmethia believes can slow the spread of the virus. Around 92 percent of students comply with social distancing guidelines, and around 77 percent of students do not leave their house.

“Social distancing and selfquarantine are productive measures that slow the rate of infection considerably,” Osmethia said. “But, at the same time, I don’t think everyone, especially teenagers, are taking it seriously. I think that it’s hard for students to grasp the severity of the problem because we have no clue what’s going on in hospitals and intensive care units.

Because we’re not at risk like the elderly are, it’s not a matter of life and death for us, so it doesn’t seem as scary.”

Senior Zan Haq is among the 57 percent of students who cancelled their spring break travel plans due

to the spread of COVID-19. He did not attend the annual senior trip to Cancun.

“We cancelled the night before we were supposed to leave while we were packing,” Haq said. “My biggest fear was getting quarantined in Mexico as WHO had just raised the travel advisory level to 2. While the probability of this happening was low, we weighed that it wasn’t worth taking the risk.”

To better understand the severity of the situation, senior Sam Bhasin recommends students keep up with the news. Sixty-four percent of students keep up with the news around COVID-19, but around 33 percent of students find there to be too much information to cover.

However, Bhasin warns against the danger of being misled by the media.

“Biased or ‘fake’ media can lead many people astray into believing that issues aren’t real or don’t matter,” Bhasin said. “Research the news you believe in; don’t just blindly support it...If you don’t accurately keep up with the news, you’re just as in danger as if you didn’t watch at all.”

Another solution to avoid being led astray by media bias is to have discussions around this topic with other students, Bhasin suggests.

As president of the World Affairs Club, he has organized meetings where students have led discussions on global issues such as COVID-19.

“It’s important for students to have discussions around this issue, especially around the health and sanitary issues of COVID-19, so people can identify signs and know what to do,” Bhasin said. “Students should discuss the political effects and issues surrounding COVID-19.

Many ESD students are going to end up one day in positions of power, and it’s important to see the response of our political leaders and see what they did right and what they did wrong to know for the future so that we can lead properly.”

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photo provided by the CDC

Faculty and staff organize personal protective equipment donation drive On March 22, Head of School Dave Baad sent out an email to all faculty and staff, letting them know of an initiative to help local hospitals. The hospitals requested donations of extra personal protective equipment. Director of Campus Security Jody Trumble went around campus to collect personal protective equipment donations for UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“With more than the normal amount of people buying masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, etc., there just wasn’t enough to go around,” Trumble said. “By looking outside of their normal supply chain, the people on the front lines would be able to get this essential equipment from other sources. Schools, because of the wide variety of courses they provide, would be a place that might have some of this equipment.”

According to Trumble and her family members who work

in the healthcare industry, the personal protective equipment shortage is “real,” and it is a problem “everywhere.”

School nurse Marcela Biggs can attest to this fact as she has typically spent her school breaks working at a large local hospital.

“On day one [of spring break,] I was told that masks [of the] N95 kind were in such limited supply that we wouldn’t be given one, unless we were working with a known COVID-19 case,” Biggs said. “This was March 16, so [there were] not that many ‘known’ cases and not as much testing yet. On day two, I was issued one N95 mask and told that was all I would get for the entire week. [I was supposed to] keep it in a paper bag and not throw it away, unless there was visible ‘soil’ on the outside. By day three, I decided that it simply wasn’t worth it to me to risk not only my health but also the health of others as I reused a nasty mask and

carried it with me from place to place and person to person.”

The School donated 4000 pairs of gloves, 950 regular, non-N95 face masks, 42 bottles of hand sanitizer, 12 face shields and 3600 disinfectant wipes. Although these materials came from school supplies, the School will replace these items for its emergency kits, room use, lab use, art rooms, etc. once the shortage has subsided.

“Our healthcare workers are truly on the front line of this situation,” Trumble said. “They are exposed to sick people of every kind. We need to make sure they have what they need to stay healthy themselves, or we are really going to be in a jam. We need them to help the rest of us! The equipment we provided will not fix the problem, but even if it eases the situation for one day, then ESD has helped.”

How to stay healthy, advice from school nurse Marcela Biggs

The science behind a COVID-19 cure, according to biology teacher Max Auge

• Educate yourself by getting information from trusted sources. Good, trusted sources for rapidly-changing information include the CDC, WHO and Dallas County Health and Human Services.

• Stay calm. Find healthy ways to “destress.” (Exercise is a great way to destress.)

• Turn the TV off, play some cards or dominoes or take a walk. Take advantage of online food delivery, online grocery delivery, Amazon, etc.

• If you or a family member has to go out: keep hand sanitizer in the cup holder of the car. Lean across and grab a squirt before you even get in the car. Rub your hands, the key fob, the inside door handle and the steering wheel (any common touch surface). Create a “dirty space” near a door in your house. That can be the front door, the garage, the back door, the patio, a mud room, etc. This is where the “worldly” person should expect to get undressed and then, head straight for the shower. All of their clothes should be washed immediately. Shoes, belt, wallet, phone, etc. stay by the door. They should grab some more hand sanitizer before they leave that area for the shower. That helps with the common touch surfaces (door knobs, light switches, etc.) I grab a wipe and clean the phone while they are showering because I know that person will want their phone as soon as they are done in the bathroom!

“Research is progressing at lightning speed. Being a novel virus, scientists had to work fast to find out as much as they can about this unknown variant of the coronavirus to address the developing pandemic. They have already sequenced the genome and modeled the 3D structure of the protein spikes that allow the virus to latch on to our cells. The Food and Drug Administration has loosened rules to fast-track treatment studies. One of the more interesting and promising studies is the use of blood plasma from individuals recovered from COVID-19. The plasma is full of antibodies to the virus, SARS-COV-2, specifically recognizing antigen associated with the envelope and spikes.

Administering this plasma to those infected will provide an immediate defense. This is a form of passive immunity, akin to getting an anti-venom shot for a snake bite or an infant drinking mother’s milk and getting her antibodies. Additionally, an array of drugs, including antibiotics and anti-parasitic drugs, are being tested based on anecdotal evidence around the globe. Scientists are hoping to “get lucky.” But the testing needs to be done under rigorous controlled conditions so as to measure their efficacy and safety. Finally, scientists are working around the clock to develop a vaccine, though this will likely take some time to develop and test (the treatment can’t be worse than the disease!). All in all, this is all very encouraging. The scientific community is rallying and collaborating around the world in a multi-pronged approach. And, there appears to be a renewed appreciation for facts and science, our only way out of this pandemic.”

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// News

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Entrepreneurship class introduces new skill development program Ten Time encourages upperclassmen to create their own challenge, various talents discovered story and graphic by luke mccabe

I

t’s a normal morning in time if I use it wisely.” entrepreneurship class: students Ten Time is not only meant to furiously spinning Rubik's Cubes, help students learn their particular measuring how high they can jump skill, it is also meant to help and laying on the floor doing ab students track growth and see what workout routines. truly goes into learning a skill or These students are working on trade. a project that entrepreneurship “Ten Times are not teacher Amy Livingston calls Ten performance goals, so I don't Time, a program that intends let [students] pick projects to promote risk-taking and where they say ‘I want to run independence. The program takes a mile,’ or something specific,” 10 percent of the time spent in class Livingston said. “They have to and utilizes it for an individual task want to understand what goes that each student chooses as a way into running a mile. What about to learn time management and get nutrition? What about health? How into the entrepreneurial spirit of do I train myself to do this?” trying something new and being Students keep up with their productive. progress on a blog meant Ten Time to illustrate the growth “TEN TIME was originally that can occur with only IS REALLY created by a small percentage ABOUT TRYING 3M, the of time. They post SOMETHING NEW pictures, videos and company THAT GETS YOU where an type summaries OUT OF YOUR employee of their progress, DAY-TO-DAY created the success and future ROUTINE AND Post-it Note goals. For example, CHALLENGES YOU." senior River Woods during his free time. posts videos of Sam Logan, But ,in the himself solving junior classroom, his Rubik's Cube, Ten Time is and he sets goals a way to spark for how fast he ideas and critical thinking. wishes to solve it the next “I think it fits really well with week. Junior Sam Logan the idea of the class where we’re documents his journey to trying to encourage creativity and achieving a slam dunk by are trying to get [the students] to planning leg workouts and think outside the box, literally,” measuring his progression of jump Livingston said. “If you're an heights. entrepreneur, you want to be your “Honestly, I was pretty surprised own boss, and you don't want with my progress, especially because anyone telling you what to do, my Ten Time was dunking, but and that's really the nature of Ten I guess if you really try to do Time.” something and continuously work Students have chosen a wide array at it anything can happen,” Logan of activities—such as learning how said. “Ten Time is really about to cook, how to dunk a basketball trying something that gets you out and how to code. of your day-to-day routine and “For my Ten Time, I decided challenges you.” to focus on using an app called Logan admits that he might not Workout Women to try and fit in achieve his goal, but the true value some extra exercise time,” junior of these activities and goals is the Bella Collins said. “Ten Time is process. valuable because it makes me realize “Ten Time teaches that it's okay that I can do a lot more with my to be creative, it's okay to innovate,

it's okay to fail,” Livingston said. “That's how you learn. You have to understand what can you do differently to achieve that goal or some similar goal. You have to be creative and take risks.”

News //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

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Women's Studies Organization sponsors speaker for women's suffrage month WSO held food and clothes drive amongst other activites to honor women's month story by

gina montagna

D

uring the 100th year after to bring awareness to Women’s the granting of women’s History Month. The idea behind suffrage, students celebrated the food drive was to provide more Women’s History Month during kid-friendly snacks and food for the March to commemorate the children at the shelter. The drive struggles that women of the past took place from March 9 to 13. overcame.

“Since they’re just kids, they just Women’s Studies Organization want normal food,” Ragan said. organized various “The snack food drive pop-up stands brings microwavable "WSO WANTS and brought in macaroni and cheese TO HELP THE guest speaker or granola bars— SCHOOL BE A Crista DeLuzio to little snacks that the PLACE WHERE draw attention to kids can have.”

WOMEN FEEL women’s suffrage WSO also LIKE THEY CAN and give students partnered with the the chance to honor winter musical cast GROW TO BE the women who of “How to Succeed EMPOWERED contributed to the AND IMPORTANT." in Business without ratification of the Really Trying” to 19th Amendment. host a clothes drive.

Abby Ragan, senior WSO’s goal is to Guests who arrived support all women to see the musical at the school and could bring clothes allow discussions regarding human to be donated to Genesis Women’s rights to occur amongst students, Shelter and also be entered to win a regardless of gender. raffle for Northpark Gold.

“WSO wants women to feel like “Working with the musical was a they are heard,” WSO president and great way to get [donations],” WSO senior Abby Ragan said. “One of member and junior Olivia Hagge the most important things is being said. “Many families had old clothes able to foster that environment.” from their kids who went to college A food drive to benefit Genesis or clothes they didn’t wear anymore.

Women’s Shelter, a shelter that The musical was great for allowing houses abused women and often not just ESD students but also the their children, was amongst two Dallas community to get involved.” other events that WSO held The club set up an informational

pop-up stand outside of the Gill Library. It was created by the National Archives Museum for people to use for spreading awareness regarding women’s right to vote, to bring attention to Women’s History Month and to feature important feminist figures.

“The display contained simple messages about the expansion of the right to millions of women, [the situations] before and after the 19th amendment and [the amendment’s] impact today,” Hagge said. “The display is huge in size and is illustrated with different pictures and graphics depicting the history of women’s suffrage. Because the display is hard to miss, we’re hoping that the school community will take some time to read the messages.”

Guest speaker and Southern Methodist University Professor Crista DeLuzio visited the school on March 9 to speak about the importance of women empowerment and education on women’s rights. The meeting was open to everyone in the school.

“I think it’s important [to participate in Women's History Month] because hearing about how you can be strong and empowered will make you feel like you can be strong and empowered,” Ragan said. “I didn’t feel very confident in myself, but when I started reading about women being confident and empowered, it helped me be more sure of myself.”

Ragan’s and WSO’s goal is to raise awareness about women's equality at school. Many teachers promote discussions about women’s rights through history and literature.

Teachers often help students identify the context of certain time periods to help them understand the author’s views regarding equality.

“The practice of empathy and engaging in a higher dialectic where gender or class systems or racial inequality is concerned is part of [the author's perspective],” English teacher Lindsey Cullins said. “I try to invite [the students], in every type of text we engage in, to think critically from a higher perspective

about what boxes this author is in and what boxes their readers are in.”

Despite WSO being a club for empowering women, men are also welcome to join. The club is open to anyone interested in the discussions and who want to share their own experiences regarding gender. Ragan encourages more people, regardless of gender, to sit in on WSO’s conversations to learn more about gender inequality and how to promote women’s rights.

“Everyone interacts with women,” Ragan said. “If you [want to] know how to support [people], you have to be able to discuss the issues that are occurring, so you know what’s happening and how to address it. If you ignore the problem, nothing is ever going to change.”

EMPOWER HOUR Women's Studies Organization gathers to listen to guest speaker Crista Deluzio on March 9. They discussed the process of women's suffrage in the country. "She was well spoken and passionate about educating others about women's rights," freshman Katherine Mote said. "It made me want to learn about women and how they changed history." photo provided by Abby Ragan

Alumna's unique clothing store supports artisans in Mexico Cristina Lynch's Mi Golondrina creates hand-crafted clothing that embodies Mexican culture story by

sloane hope Inspired by her mom’s collection of Mexican art, alumna Cristina Lynch ‘06 set out to bring a taste of true Mexican culture to the Dallas fashion and design scene. Her store, Mi Golondrina, sells clothing handmade by female artisans in Mexico that reflect the traditional style of classic Mexican attire.

Since her childhood, Lynch has had exposure to Mexican ceramics and textiles as her mother collected them. Lynch was able to learn what styles of art came from certain areas, as well as the multitude of techniques artisans used to produce their craft.

“I didn't realize I was getting this education in art and culture from the pieces that my mom would bring home,” Lynch said. “I realized how special it was that I knew where certain pieces came from, so I then just started reading a lot about award-winning pieces and kept trying to expand that education even further.”

After graduating from New York University and working for Oscar de la Renta, Lynch moved back to Dallas to open a Mexican clothing store. Lynch wanted each piece as genuine as possible, resulting in her unique business model.

“All of our pieces are handmade by women artisans in Mexico,” Lynch said. “What we do is we put these kits together [that consist of ] fabric, thread and the design, and then, [the artisans] embroider it in their homes, and we go pick it up and pay for it. By doing this, we are also able to ensure that they're being paid fair wages for their work, which oftentimes doesn’t happen if they create pieces to sell in the markets.”

To Lynch and Mi Golondrina Chief Managing Officer Diana Swope, artisan fair wages is an important issue.

“Mexican tourism is not where it used to be,” Swope said. “If you think about where artists and women can actually sell their pieces, there aren't as many options as we’d like for there to be. Even then, sometimes, these women produce too much inventory and have to sell it for a lot less just to put food on the table. Being able to provide a steady source of good income for these women by placing orders every month takes a big weight off of their shoulders.”

Sophomore Erika Batson had the opportunity to visit Mi Golondrina and hear about its story and philanthropic mission from Lynch.

“I think Mi Golondrina’s mission is very unique because they not only

help women in small communities but also design their clothes around the patterns and designs passed down from generations in the communities,” Batson said.

“Whenever you buy one of their pieces, there is a story attached and its genuinely helping women in small communities support their families in a unique way.”

Currently, Mi Golondrina employs 600 artisans from various towns in Mexico.

Every few months, Lynch travels to Mexico to visit the artisans and make sure everything is running smoothly.

“We try and visit every twoto-three months,” Lynch said.

“Checking in is so important, and face-toface time is also really important in this business. I also just love going because it's like visiting family, at this point.”

Swope and Lynch also

integrate technology into their communication with the artisans, using platforms like Gmail and Google Docs to organize and connect.

“Right now, we are working with seven different communities of women in Mexico, so sometimes, it can be difficult to visit them all in one trip,” Swope said.

“But, it is

amazing how technology has been able to improve communication.

That's something that I really love about what we're doing is teaching [the artisans] to professionalize.

So, today, certain things that we used to have to go to Mexico and do physically, we're now able to do electronically.”

Lynch also touched on the importance of running with your dreams and discovering what you don’t like while trying to figure out what you do.

“The biggest piece of advice that I could give someone with an idea is just to do it,” Lynch said. “Even if you start something and it doesn’t work out, you can learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen on your next venture.”

Mi Golondrina is located on 2727 W. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 103.

Due to the pandemic, the store is currently closed. Online shopping is still available on their website, www. migolondrina.com, but shipping may be delayed.

TRADITIONS AND CULTURE Cristina Lynch influences Dallas with her brand's traditionally designed clothing. She built her brand to create jobs for artisans. "I think one of the coolest things now is how much our artists and partners enjoy working with us," Lynch said. "Building that trust in the beginning is hard." photo courtesy of Cristina Lynch

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

// News

Worn with pride

Seniors vote for first time in primary elections, importance of voting emphasized story and graphic by

poll of 147 students, 56 percent of students are reluctant to talk about lauren egger politics because it is polarizing.

“Discussion about politics can s she walks into the voting often become heated, but I like booth to cast her first vote discussing with people with a as a legal adult on March 3, different point of view just to see also known as Super Tuesday, senior where they get their perspective and Rachel Morrow hears, “We have how I can potentially change mine,” some first-time voters!” and “This Dockery said. “Healthy debate is a big moment!” Her excitement is always good, but it can get too increases as she walks out to people heated—at which point I think it is clapping. She is handed two “I better to move on [than engage.]”

Voted” stickers instead of the With such a politically-charged customary one sticker as a way to scene—with candidates throwing celebrate the milestone. insults back and forth and differing “I went to vote, and everyone opinions between parties—students there was excited because I was a can find it difficult to navigate the first-time voter,” Morrow said. “I political scene and figure out their think they [are trying beliefs. to] encourage the “I THINK THE “It can be youth to vote more POLLING PLACE difficult to talk because we are the IS SUCH A GREAT about politics future.” because it’s THING BECAUSE The Democratic and hard to discuss YOU WALK IN Republican presidential controversial THERE, YOU’RE primaries are held topics without from February to June ALL BY YOURSELF, becoming 2020 to determine AND YOU HAVE TO defensive,” which candidate will be SAY, ‘OKAY, WHAT senior chosen as the nominee IS IMPORTANT TO Cambridge at their respective 2020 ME RIGHT NOW?” Bender said.

National Conventions, “I love talking which will take place openly with Claire Mrozek, from July 13 through history teacher and my friends July 16 in Milwaukee, about debated junior Class Dean Wisconsin, for the topics. I believe Democratic Party that when people are willing to and from Aug. 24 through 17 in simply have a political conversation Charlotte, North Carolina, for the without intending to change the Republican Party. President Donald other’s opinion we will deepen Trump will most likely be chosen our education on politics and as the Republican nominee, but the ultimately, grow as people.”

Democratic race is ongoing. For Even adults who have been the majority of the current seniors, voting for years find it difficult to this was the first election they were be impartial and learn every fact. allowed to vote in.

“You will never know everything “Recently, I have been getting that you want to know in order to more interested in politics since I be an educated voter, and if you now can express my own voice,” studied 24/7 for weeks, you would senior Ned Dockery said. “The still not know everything that people there helped me and told you really need to know,” history me exactly what to do. When they teacher and junior Class Dean figured out I was a first-time voter Claire Mrozek said. “Ultimately, it they got really excited and were boils down to gut instinct, so read clapping for me, and it was actually as much as you can, read as widely a really fun process.” as you can [and] talk to many Engaging in politics often has a different kinds of people…in such negative connotation for students a way that is [asking], ‘Help me because these discussions can end in understand why you think that’s arguments. According to an April 2 a good idea.’ The polling place is

A

such a great thing because you walk in there, you’re all by yourself, and you have to say, ‘Okay, what is important to me right now? Who is the individual that I think is going to make that thing happen?’ and vote accordingly.”

Government teacher Kiley McAbee advises students to learn both sides of an argument in order to solidify your own opinion.

“One of the best things we can do is read more, listen more and take in information from more than one source,” McAbee said. “If we’re only reading one newspaper or only watching one type of news, we are not getting all the information. I recommend for people to research all of the candidates, especially if you are voting for the first time and you are not sure who to vote for.”

Oftentimes, people believe voting at the executive level is more important than voting locally. In November of 2019, 12 percent of registered Texans voted in the constitutional amendment elections. In the 2016 presidential election, 59 percent of Americans voted. When local elections are involved, the percentage of voters drops significantly.

“Local government affects us much more than the general election for president,” McAbee said. “You’re affected day-to-day at a much greater level by small things that are happening in your community, [and] you have a much closer relationship with your congressperson and the district that you live in than you ever will with the president. So, it is always interesting to me that...our numbers are so low when it comes to local and state elections because that is where the greatest amount of change can happen.”

Senior Benjamin Goodman agrees that local elections are influential to daily life. He strives to pay attention to local candidates, so he can have a voice in his community.

“Local elections are arguably more important,” Goodman said.

“If you’re not involved in local elections, you’re not affecting what has the potential to directly affect you.”

What is the difference between a caucus and a primary election?

T

he caucus was the original way for states to select their candidates, but over the years, they have become less popular in favor of the primary. The caucus is run by the political party, and they decide when and where it will occur. It is a public vote, and those who attend show their candidate affiliation and support by physically moving from one side of the room to another.

For a candidate to be viable, they have to have 15 percent of voters to gain delegates. To increase their numbers, their supporters walk around and try to persuade others to join their candidate. This voting method is very public and time consuming. States have mostly moved to primaries, which are more secretive.

Iowa, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming and Kentucky hold caucuses, with Kentucky only having one for Republicans.

Also, the U.S. territories of American Samoa, The U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam hold caucuses. All other states vote through a primary.

The primary is a secret ballot where voters check off which candidate they want to vote for. These are run by the state and have different rules for each state.

In Texas, the primary is an open election which means anyone can vote for any person of any party. Other states have closed elections where a voter can only vote for a candidate within their registered party. The goal of candidates for both the caucus and the primary is to win delegates.

Delegates are chosen to represent state interests at the national party level and will vote for their state in the national conventions. When voting at the primary or

caucus, that voter is voting for how many delegates their state will send to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions for a candidate. There are 4,750 democratic delegates, 3,979 of which are pledged to vote the way your state votes, and the other are 771 superdelegates, who are influential people like former presidents, governors or distinguished people in the party. Superdelegates are not required to vote how their state chooses. Each state has a certain number of delegates in proportion to their population, and each candidate aims to win the most delegates per state.

To win the Democratic nominee, 2,375 delegates are required. The Republican party has 2,472 delegates with 168 unpledged, who have the same role as the superdelegates. A majority of 1,237 delegates are needed to win the Republican nominee.

After the primaries and caucuses are complete, the delegates travel to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in the summer to officially vote for the nominee their state chose. Oftentimes, these conventions are more of a formality because it will be obvious who the nominee will be weeks or months in advance.

But, sometimes, there are still two or more candidates left who could take the nomination, and this is where the superdelegates come in to vote because they don’t have to vote for a certain candidate. At each national convention, the candidate who wins becomes the official nominee for that party and runs against the other nominees in the presidential election.

News //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

inBrief

DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE Bea Johnson participates in the biannual Dedman lecture series on March 2. Johnson is an advocate for living a zero-waste lifestyle, where one produces as little trash as possible by becoming more aware of what can be reused or swapped for a more environmentally-friendly product. “The fact that one person can impact the Earth by reducing the amount of trash she uses inspires me to believe my actions can actually change things,” senior Jade Donahue said. “She implements creative ways to reduce her carbon footprint like limiting the amount of clothes she has, and it has made me realize how wasteful I am with simple luxuries.” photo courtesy of ESD

1

Admissions committee changed to include more faculty viewpoints The admissions decisions for the incoming freshman were released on March 14 at 4 p.m.

The admissions committee decides which students would be a good fit for the community. At Head of School David Baad’s request, the admissions committee underwent 2 some changes this year. For example, more school faculty members were on the committee. Because of the addition of faculty members, the admissions committee was able to gain a deeper understanding of each applicant, and there was a greater variety of voices to decide on acceptances.

“When it comes to the admissions of students at our school, having more eyes and more voices at the table allows for a more equitable process because it’s not just up to a couple of people,” Director of Diversity Dr. Elizabeth Goatly said. “Our goal is to ensure that every student has somebody that they can go to that they trust and know that will hear them and listen to them.” by raleigh toledo

Megan Boyd announced as new student council sponsor

Director of Alumni Relations and Cheerleading Program Director Megan Boyd was appointed as the new student council sponsor for the next school year and onward. After four years of service, current sponsor and Spanish teacher Marcela Garcini is leaving the position.

3 Boyd decided to apply for the position because she wants to get more involved in student life.

“I am most excited about getting to know, interact with and support many more students,” Boyd said. “As the Cheerleading Program Director, I do get to support the members of my program but I am eager to work with as many students as possible and continue to build upon what Garcini and the past councils have put in place.”

Garcini will carry this experience with her throughout her career.

“Sometimes [the council] disagrees on things, but at the end of the day, it’s about the kids,” Garcini said. “I will miss planning school dances and getting to see those kids all the time next year.” by ava brennan

7

1

Zero-waste advocate Bea Johnson participates in Dedman lecture The biannual Dedman lecture, which was created and endowed by the Dedman family in 2004, took place on March 2 in the Bray Theater. The School invited Bea Johnson, who originated the ZeroWaste Home Movement, to talk about living a zero-waste lifestyle.

Johnson and her family reside in Mill Valley, California, and since 2008, they have produced about a pint of trash a year, collectively.

She believes that a zero-waste lifestyle is more manageable than most people believe and can save money and bring health and happiness to your life. She has become a global phenomenon: she won the Grand Prize at the Green Awards in 2011, has been featured on 100+ radio and TV shows, along with 19 international speaking tours, and published the book “Zero Waste Home”.

“I think her dedication to the lifestyle really showed and made me think about how much more dedicated I can be to reusing my

usage,” junior Ava Thompson said.

“She showed that [a zero-waste lifestyle] can be feasible and started really important conversations among the ESD community regarding intake of singleuse products and unnecessary products.”

Traditionally, guest speakers with diverse backgrounds present to upperclassmen and talk about how their personal experiences have influenced their career paths. Over the 16 years these lectures have taken place, there have been 30 different speakers.

“The takeaway is that you may think, ‘I’m going to college to major in this, and I’m going to become that,’ [but]that doesn’t always happen,” Director of the ESD Fund and Special Projects Kam Bakewell said. “[The lecture] reassures the students that it’s okay to change your mind and find something that you’re passionate about.” by raleigh toledo

2

ADMISSIONS ALTERATIONS To create more diversity within admitted students, admissions committees were made larger for more perspectives to be included.

“I think it is important for different faculty to weigh in on who attends ESD because it allows for more people with different backgrounds and experiences to be admitted,” senior Lily Baughman said. “This makes the community stronger.” photo courtesy of ESD

3

STUCO SPONSOR Alumna Megan Boyd is announced to be the new student council sponsor. Boyd is the current Director of Alumni Relations and Cheerleading Program Director but applied to be the student council sponsor to be more involved in the student body. “I’ve worked with Boyd for years now as a cheerleader, so I have been able to see her organization and most importantly, her spirit and creativity,” senior Abby Brand said. “These qualities make her a wonderful fit for such an influential role like student council sponsor!” photo courtesy of ESD

Life

8

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

& Life lessons

Students speak on sex ed program’s efficiencies and inadequacies

story and graphic by

blair batson

“

I THINK IT WOULD BE WAY MORE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL COME AND TEACH [SEX ED] AND ALSO HAVE [SEX ED] BE A CONTINUOUS THING. Susanna Newsom, junior

S

exual education at 4100 Merrell Road begins in Lower School. In third and fourth grade, students watch an informational video and receive a talk about puberty. In Middle School, fifth graders learn about the reproductive systems and anatomy; these topics are further covered in sixth grade. But sex education in seventh and eighth grade has changed over the years. Last year, for example, eighth grade only covered a unit on dating violence; compared to previous years, when sex education focused on STDs, birth control, personal values and reviewing previously covered topics.

In high school, sex education takes place during health class. This involves a student-researched and student-led presentation on sexual health, covering topics such as teen pregnancy, birth control and STDs, which is supplemented by discussions, activities and an outside speaker.

According to an April 2 poll of 147 Upper School students, 41 percent believe the sex education at ESD is sufficient.

Physical Education Department Chair Mike Schneider finds the student-led presentation to be a beneficial way to approach sex ed because it gives students ownership over the topic.

“If you ask me, ‘Hey, what are you going to teach?’ I might not teach the things that [students] would rather discuss,” Schneider said. “So, if you let the students do the format and take ownership of which direction the research goes

in, you actually have an opportunity professional come and teach [sex for the topic to go in any direction ed] and also, have [sex ed] be a that students want it to go, continuous thing.” including some which I might not Nine percent of students have think about.” had LGBTQ sexual To prevent critical health addressed in “I FEEL LIKE information from sex education at the SEX ED AT ESD getting overlooked, school.

HAS THE SAME Schneider checks “Most likely, PROBLEMS THAT in with students [students] will not throughout the IT DOES AT A LOT bring up LGBTQ research process. topics when talking OF SCHOOLS. I “I can guide it if about sex,” senior FEEL LIKE [IT’S] it needs guidance, Nick Harapanahalli NOT REALLY and generally said. “That system ENCOMPASSING speaking, it doesn’t,” not only perpetuates WHAT PEOPLE Schneider said. “It’s alienation but SHOULD KNOW.” pretty obvious what isolates LGBTQ questions teenagers teens and allows a Julia Beckel need answered.” far more dangerous Class of 2018 Thirty percent idealization of what a of students find lifestyle is.” the student-led Schneider has sex education to be efficient. found that LGBTQ matters have Freshman Katherine Hess thought come up in presentations. the student-taught sex education “I don’t tell [students] in ninth was beneficial because it fostered grade not to discuss [it],” Schneider communication between students. said. “I think it’s important if “I think it’s a good idea because their research steers them in that the students who are teaching it direction, we’ll talk about it. It learn more about it, and I think the comes up most times, sometimes students interact more with [each more than others, but we’re not other],” Hess said. avoiding topics here at ESD.” However, there are also concerns Thirty-eight percent of students that this method of teaching sex believe the sex education at the education is ineffective. school has prepared them for “There’s just so many things college. that aren’t included and should be “I feel like sex ed at ESD has the discussed,” junior Susanna Newsom same problems that it does at a lot said. “Obviously, there’s some of schools,” alumna Julia Beckel education from it, but it’s also your ‘18 said. “...I feel like [it’s] not peers doing a presentation, so it’s really encompassing what people kind of awkward. I think it would should know. I don’t think sex be way more beneficial to have a education does a good enough job

of explaining contraception, birth control, not just straight sex and not just the male orgasm.”

Hess found that a sufficient amount of topics were covered in her health class.

“I liked how at the end of the semester, [Schneider] brought in a bunch of guest speakers, so it kind of wrapped up the whole semester,” Hess said. “You get a Schneider [version] of it and a professional [version], and it’s all the same. I think [Schneider] does a really good job of doing [sex ed].”

The school is currently researching the sex education program to figure out the most effective way to cover the topic.

Last year, Head of School Henry Heil and Schneider attended a conference on sex education.

Schneider and the school’s emotional wellness counselors are now leading a curricular overview regarding emotional wellness, which includes sex education. This year, they are compiling information on what the school is doing with regard to emotional wellness, and next year, they will research what other schools do and assess what changes ESD should make.

“Sex education is a sensitive topic,” Schneider said. “There are some people that don’t think we should do it at all, so part of the decision process is how do you do it so that you can get these concepts across to the students without offending people, and it’s not like other topics where you can comfortably discuss whatever you want.”

Life //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

9

1

2 1. PROUD INSTRUCTOR After an award assembly, government teacher Kiley McAbee stands with her student council seniors after presenting awards to them. During her time teaching at an Irving ISD high school, McAbee served as a student council sponsor. "I love history and government," McAbee said. "I had this teacher who really showed me the passion in it. I love talking about it. I could talk about it all day. It's just one of those things."

2. AWARD-WINNING Government teacher Kiley McAbee shows off her "Teacher of the Month" award in Dec. of 2016. McAbee began teaching in an Irving ISD high school in January of 2013. "[Before teaching on my own,] my student-teaching year was just the best I had," McAbee said. "I had such a good mentor teacher, and I was with such a great group of kids. Being with them everyday solidified for me this is definitely where I'm supposed to be." photos provided by Kiley McAbee

Government teacher finds joy in teaching after career switch

Kiley McAbee leaves law school to pursue passion, recalls importance of change story by

emily delgado

A

fter receiving her Bachelor of Arts in History degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2010, government teacher Kiley McAbee began law school in hopes of one day practicing as a family law lawyer.

McAbee comes from a family of educators. Her mother taught elementary school, her father taught history, her grandmother taught Spanish and English and her grandfather coached and taught high schoolers.

“I wanted to be a lawyer because my family made me think I wanted to be a lawyer,” McAbee said.

“Because [my family consists of ] all teachers, they wanted me to do something else.”

But after attending law school at what is now known as the Texas A&M School of Law for a year during the fall of 2010, McAbee decided that law wasn’t her calling and switched to education instead. “[I went to law school], and I just hated it,” McAbee said. “[Going to law school] felt like when you wake up in the morning, and you dread going to a job. I interned with a

judge in Fort Worth and shadowed back.’ Now, I think they realize I her during my second semester. I really like what I do.” realized [it was] not for me—I was Before joining the ESD dreading going to work basically community as a government every day. I did not want to do teacher this year, McAbee taught that—I really wanted to teach. So, history at an Irving ISD school. after that first year was up, I was McAbee found it relieving to like, ‘I’m not doing [law].’” transfer from a public to a private McAbee school because her believes that the teaching no longer “IN THE NEXT 10 experience not YEARS, I SEE MYSELF revolved around only changed the required STILL TEACHING,” her life but also standardized MCABEE SAID. “I DO taught her a STAAR test.

NOT SEE MYSELF lesson. “[Teaching in STEPPING DOWN “[I realized a private school FROM THAT FOR ANY is] like a breath that] you can REASON. I WANT always change of fresh air TO STAY IN THE your mind,” because you’re McAbee said.

CLASSROOM. I LOVE not all worried “It was very TEACHING—THIS WAS about taking a hard to tell my [THE RIGHT] CHOICE standardized test parents that I at the end of the FOR ME." wasn’t going to year,” McAbee said.

Kiley McAbee, do law anymore.

“Testing consumes government teacher everyone’s Even after I’d already gone to thoughts. We the school and told them I wasn’t were talking about testing from the coming back the next year, [my beginning of the year all the way parents] would still say, ‘You could through summer; it’s constant. Now, still go back…They’ll take you it feels like we can do so much more

in class, and actually, I feel like I have more autonomy to teach things that not only you should know but that my students [and I also] find interesting.”

This year marks McAbee’s first time teaching regular government and AP government courses.

“I am in McAbee’s AP Comparative Government class, and although there aren’t a lot of resources available because they redesigned the whole test, Mcabee really does a good job of making sure we really understand the material,” senior Selam MekbebGillett said. “I think it really shows her dedication. She is so invested in the students and in the community and makes sure that students are doing well not just grade-wise but also having fun. She’s a symbol of what it means to be a teacher that cares, and I really appreciate all that she has done.”

McAbee is also a new sponsor for the Youth and Government club.

“Coming in, I knew nothing about it and had never been to a single competition before,” McAbee said. “I had no idea just what it was

like, so [the students] have been teaching me as we go, and it’s been really fun to learn.”

Although she lacked experience coming into the club, club members believe that she played a vital and valuable role this season.

“It was honestly nice to have someone who was not only politically-educated and politicallyminded but also someone who truly wants to see kids do their best,” senior Nick Harapanahalli said. “She is not just someone who’s capable of educating; she takes experience to the whole next level. It’s not just about giving kids a civic education; it’s about teaching them that they are part of that process. She’s one of the few people on this campus that does that to a capacity that I don’t think I’ve known before.”

McAbee is currently working on a masters degree in humanities from the University of Dallas.

“In the next 10 years, I see myself still teaching,” McAbee said. “I do not see myself stepping down from that for any reason. I want to stay in the classroom. I love teaching—this was [the right] choice for me.”

to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and performances outside of school, like the “Wizard of Oz”.

Hurt plans on participating in the School’s choir for the rest of high school as well as participating in future School musicals.

“By doing musicals at ESD, you get to meet and bond with people you never would have,” Hurt said.

“It is also easier for your friends to come and support, which makes it really fun to perform.”

SHINING MOMENT Freshman Hunter Hurt acts onstage during a middle school performance of "Mary Poppins" in May of 2019. Besides "Mary Poppins," Hurt has participated in multiple musicals in and out of ESD and plans on continuing to perform in musicals and sing in choir. “Hunter is top-notch, and I am glad he is in choir,” upper school choir teacher Joe Snyder said. “He is always one of the first ones to memorize his part, and we need him." photo provided Hunter Hurt

the

studio

In story by

grace knudson

As a church choir performer, freshman Hunter Hurt was given the choice to decide at his first voice lesson whether to continue to learn church music or begin musical theatre for the first time. Hurt chose musical theatre just to try something new, and now the genre plays an important role in his life.

Performing has been a part of Hurt’s life since he was 3 years old.

Now, Hurt utilizes his skills in the Upper School choir and musicals.

“My parents never forced me [to go to these lessons]—I just started taking it on,” Hurt said.

“Performing, especially by musical theatre, is a different way to convey a message and express emotions and ideas which I love.”

Hurt has been in the school choir since the seventh grade. In early

with

Hunter Hurt

November, he auditioned and was selected for the Texas Private School Music Educators Association AllRegion Choir and the TPSMEA All-State Choir.

“I enjoy performing with people who enjoy doing choir as much as me, so I wanted to audition for TPSMEA,” Hurt said. “It was such an incredible learning experience; at All-State, our conductor, Dr. Huffman, knew a lot about music and helped [us] with some pretty hard pieces.”

Hurt also competed in the TPSMEA solo contest on Feb. 28, and he preformed Silent Noon by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Hurt scored a one out of five—the highest score you can receive in the contest.

“Hurt is a leader in class vocally,” Upper School choir teacher Joe

Snyder said. “He will learn the tenor section very quickly, and he is very self-disciplined and a natural talent. I did not have to do a lot of coaching with him when preparing for the solo contest.”

And Hurt’s talent can be heard and seen in the School’s musical scene. While in Middle School, he participated in Middle School musicals such as “Beauty and the Beast”, “Into the Woods” and “Mary Poppins." More recently, in Upper School, he has participated in “How

10 // Life

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

What’s

the

BUZZ

“I decided it would be funny to pull a prank on all my friends and pretend to have broken my arm.

I went to the store the day before and bought a cast. When I got to school everyone was wondering what had happened, and if I was okay. No one suspected anything until the end of the day when I told them it was a prank.”

Gabriella Sjogren, freshman

“Me and my friends decided to pull a prank on our other friend. We decided that putting a whoopee cushion underneath [her] during class would be hilarious. We got to class early and waited for [her] to get there.

When [she] walked in we were all laughing. As [she] went to sit down, I slipped the whoopee cushion underneath [her]. It made such a loud sound. The whole class was laughing.”

Kathryn Sullivan, sophomore

Peculiar pranks From broken arms to whoopee cushions, students and faculty share the stories of their wackiest April Fools’ pranks story by

satori griffith

“I woke up really early on April Fools’ morning to set up my pranks, and it paid off stupendously. I put fake poop all over my house and poured chocolate sauce all over my dog so it would seem like my dog had eaten something bad and pooped all over the house and rolled around in it. When my mother woke up she screamed and all my brothers came rushing into her room only to realize they had all stepped in the poop that I had set up so perfectly.”

Sam Logan, junior

Text TRAIN to 52886 to stay informed

“I love April Fools’ day because I can get away with anything by just saying “April Fools’” afterwards. One of my best pranks is scaring people. Since I was quarantined this year, I had to scare my family. I would jump out of closets and hide behind doorways and scream when anyone walked by. One time, my dad was carrying a bunch of stuff like groceries and a drink, and he dropped all of it when I pranked him. It was so classic, but he got really mad at me and made me help him clean it all up.”

“From outside, you can distinctly hear when someone pulls up to our gate. I would ninja into the bushes to get into range when I heard a car approaching...I would let the gate open one or two feet and then push the remote button to make it start closing again...I was cackling in the bushes by the third & fourth time watching everyone make frustrated hand gestures, mutely curse and push the dash button harder and harder. The best part was later that night at dinner every single one of them complained about the gate acting weird.”

Garrett Seymour, senior

Anneke Albright, chemistry teacher

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Life //

11

Students face gender imbalance in courses

Disparities between the male-female ratio in computer science and art courses cause isolation

story by

jiaying fu

A

fter participating in Robotics in middle school, junior Mary Cowser continued to pursue computer science in high school. This year, she is one of only two girls in her AP Computer Science A class.

Gender disparity in some classes is not new. Last year, only one girl took an AP computer science class. This year, four girls are taking AP Computer Science A or AP Computer Science Principles, and only six girls out of 57 upper school students are enrolled in robotics or engineering this year.

Cowser sometimes feels isolated from her peers during class due to this gender imbalance.

“When we’re putting together groups, it’s always [junior Martina Harkin] and I in a group and all the other guys in their own individual little friend groups,” Cowser said. “I definitely would not feel comfortable talking to one of the other groups to help or anything; it would be really awkward.”

Senior Meera Gangasani has had similar experiences in some of her STEM classes. However, she notes that these imbalances have only occured in her computer science, engineering and math classes. In her other science classes, like biology, physics and chemistry, there was a more even balance.

“It sometimes felt as if I were representing girls in general, so I definately wanted to make sure I know what I was doing and not ask any dumb questions,” Gangasani said.

Gender imbalance occurs in not only technology classes but also fine arts courses.

Senior Brooks Butler is the only boy in his AP 2D Art and Design

class. For Butler, this is a normal choir makes them more comfortable occurrence. Throughout his high performing. The bigger the gap, the school years, he has been one of few more I feel like we’re losing students boys pursuing 2D visual art. because of that.”

“I’ve always loved sketching and While many arts classes have drawing,” Butler said. “There are a reached gender parity, like choir and decent handful of guys in the arts, theater, the gender ratio of other but—I don’t know why—there are arts classes still are imbalanced, not very many guys who like to like the male-heavy film classes draw.” and female-heavy 2D visual art In the past four years, fine arts classes. According to Brooks, the classes enrollment overall has moved gender discrepancy in 2D visual art toward parity; however, gender is due to the presence of societal disparities can still be found in stereotypes. individual sections of the arts. In “There’s always that stereotype the 2015-2016 school year, there around guys and doing art,” Butler were 137 fine arts course requests said. “When I’ve looked at statistics from male students versus 173 fine about these schools I’ve applied to, arts course requests from female it’s like 73 percent women compared students. to men. I think In contrast, that’s the stereotype there are 116 that you have to “IT SOMETIMES male students be a certain type of FELT AS IF I WERE enrolled in the REPRESENTING GIRLS person to pursue arts versus 109 art, but realistically, IN GENERAL, SO I female students DEFINATELY WANTED anyone can pursue enrolled in art.”

TO MAKE SURE I the arts this Similarly, KNOW WHAT I WAS spring semester. according to DOING AND NOT Fine Arts Gangasani, gender ASK ANY DUMB Department norms and societal QUESTIONS.” Chair Dusty pressure are also Davidson a large cause of attributes this the lack of girls in Meera Gangasani, change largely computer science. senior to the increase “Gender equality in choir is a relatively recent students. phenomenon, and usually, we “[The reason there are more tend to follow the example of our guys in choir now] has to do with parents and the people before us,” having a strong Middle School Gangasani said. “Since parents may program that is feeding the upper expose boys and girls to separate school,” Davidson said. “Whatever activities in childhood, and girls and that stigma that might have been boys may grow up with different attached to it before, they don’t role models, that may contribute to really care….Having that core group a difference in academic and career of friends that are with them in choices. As a result, if more boys

SCIENCE STAR After attending STARS, an eight-week biomedical summer research program for high school students at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Gangasani presents the culmination of her summer research at the symposium. Gangasani hopes to work in medicine, a career choice inspired by her brother’s autism diagnosis. “Growing up, I was exposed to a lot of the challenges that [my brother] and my family have had to face,” Gangasani said.

“I realized that I really wanted to help families and individuals overcome adversity while still pursuing my interests in the biological sciences, so I knew medicine was the perfect choice.” photo provided by Meera Gangasani

pursue a certain activity, that may discourage girls from participating because of the pressure to socially conform.”

One of the reasons that these stereotypes exist is because of cultural influences, like TV shows, as stated by Computer Science teacher Jerome Mitchell. In the ‘70s, gender parity within computer science was almost reached, but according to Mitchell, later cultural shifts perpetuated the imbalance.

“The idea of what is a computer scientist or programmer shifted from whoever could do the calculations and jobs to the guy nerd superhero,” Mitchell said.

“There is no real reason, from a gender standpoint, for there to be any difference [regarding who can pursue computer science].... It is not an activity that requires anything but brainpower, and [both genders are] totally equal on that. It’s much more about society telling us who is a computer scientist—that’s where you’re seeing your discrepancies.”

To break past these barriers, Cowser suggests incorporating a different type of computer science class into the curriculum.

“We should encourage girls to

take a class other than Mobile Apps for their technology requirement,” Cowser said. “The only other coding class shouldn’t just be honors computer science; [there should be] another computer science class [about] practical Java.”

Additionally, Gangasani proposes increasing early childhood exposure to STEM. “A way to combat [gender discrepancies] would be to expose girls to STEM early on during childhood, through after school activities, books, or TV shows,” Gangasani said. “By gaining participation early on, there will be less of a stigma for girls to participate in these fields in future.

I also think it would be beneficial for girls to support one another in their STEM classes and actively encourage each other to pursue these fields.”

In order to move toward parity in the arts, Butler suggests making the art requirement more than one credit.

“We have to have six physical education credits by the time we graduate, but we only have to have one art credit,” Butler said. “The real problem that I see is that there should really be more people in the arts….A [bigger] requirement would help get people more interested in the arts and give them more freedom of expression.”

Despite the difficulties due to gender imbalance she may face along the way, Cowser hopes to major in computer science. A 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics study reports that out of all the recipients of a computer science bachelor’s degree, women only make up 18 percent.

“I’m just preparing myself because I know I’m going to have to deal with a lot of guys being in the major,” Cowser said. “A lot of technology companies seem to have specific programs for women to increase diversity, so I hope that by the time I get into the workforce, the [situation] will be better.”

Gangasani, too, will continue to work toward her goal of working in medicine despite any academic or career-related gender imbalance she may experience.

“I’m not too concerned about how the gender imbalances might play out in college, especially since college classes are going to be a lot larger and more diverse,” Gangasani said. “However, in classes where I may be one of the few girls, there may be a bit more pressure to not mess up, but I would hope that in the end we all support one another in our goals.”

Mitchell believes that we are slowly seeing growth toward parity in the field, and societal conceptions are changing for the better.

“The culture is changing,” Mitchell said. “You are beginning to see a lot more trends with women inspiring women….I’ve joked that Sheree from ‘Black Panther’ is going to generate an entire generation of female computer scientists and engineers because you’re able to see yourself on the screen. What really has to happen is that you have to be able to see yourself in that position.

As our culture changes, we will see little shifts change along with it.”

12 // Life

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Spirit Check Majority of student body reports an overall decrease in school spirit this year story and graphics by

emily lichty

A

t a November football game, senior Annie Walker looks around the emptying student section. With several minutes left in the football game, she tries to re-excite the crowd and bring back the enthusiasm she is used to feeling at games. However, thinking that ESD is about to lose, students continue to leave.

But even as the team manages a comeback and wins the game, only 30 students, including Walker, are left to cheer them along.

With rival lacrosse games moved to the middle of the week, less spirit dress days and confusion surrounding costumes for student body week, 69 percent of students believe there has been less school spirit this year, according to a March 5 poll of 157 students.

“There’s excitement; there’s energy—but it feels like it’s getting suppressed,” sophomore Weston Hargrave said. “Last year, there was a ton of school pride. I think school pride is what’s going downhill, and it’s affecting our school spirit.”

Head of school Dave Baad defines school spirit as the sense of excitement and support students and teachers have for their school community.

“It’s about fostering a sense of people feeling other-centered and feeling like a big part of the reason [students] are here is to help everybody else be their best self,” Baad said. “[It’s about] supporting what [others] are doing, even if it may not be an activity that they are passionate about.”

Due to safety concerns resulting from the spread of Coronavirus, all sporting events are postponed or

cancelled. Before social distancing was implemented, lacrosse games were scheduled in the middle of the week instead of on Fridays, which caused some students to notice decreased attendance. According to athletic director Dan Gill, games against St. Mark’s, Jesuit and Highland Park were scheduled on a Wednesday or Thursday to make the games safer and promote healthy sportsmanship.

“Having the [rival] games during games has decreased for her and the week is a lot different; the other upperclassmen as they have games just aren’t as intense as they gotten older. usually are on a Friday,” sophomore “Two years ago really was a Mac Rodvold said. peak point, and then I’ve seen it “There’s nothing like a packed go down since then,” Walker said. student section— it fuels the “It’s fun to have hype of the game.” people hyped Walker believes up and excited “LAST YEAR, that she experiin your student THERE WAS A TON enced an increase section; it stinks OF SCHOOL PRIDE. in spirit during that it’s not like I THINK SCHOOL football games that anymore…

PRIDE IS WHAT’S her sophomore Whenever we GOING DOWNHILL year, with students were younger, bringing speakers, AND IT’S everything was a pots and pans, lot more exciting AFFECTING OUR baby powder and because it was so SCHOOL SPIRIT.” bucket drums to new. Now that the stands. we’re seniors, “When I was a we’ve been doing sophomore, they it for four years, started to call the and it’s not the Weston Hargrave, student section same.” sophomore ‘The Horde,’ and I This year, there think that’s where has been one [spirit at football spirit dress day, games] started,” Walker said. “That excluding homecoming and student was a big year of increasing school body weeks, whereas last year, there spirit because everyone was super were four spirit dress days. For some into it… Since then, it’s been up to students, like freshman Annabelle the seniors to keep that going, so Heppner, the dress days themes for it’s different every year, depending student body week this year were on the grade.” confusing or disappointing.

For Walker, excitement at the “This student body week was

69 percent of students believe that school spirit has decerased

not my favorite because there was confusion with some of the themes,” Heppner said. “Next year, I hope that they will be more planned out or have more popular themes, like [they had during] homecoming week, which was very fun.”

But to some, school spirit is not just about sports. With rewards for grades who have the highest attendance at fine arts events and the new Lower School opening this year, 14 percent of the students believe that school spirit has increased this year.

“While I think theatre performances and the film festival have grown in popularity, it would be nice to see even bigger turnout for other visual and performing arts,” junior Jackson Breard said.

“It’s very important that students come and support other students at ESD fine arts events. Over the course of a semester, a student artist puts as much time into the preparation of a work of art… as any student athlete puts into preparing for their games.”

Cheer captain, Student Council president and senior Abby Brand feels that changes this year haven’t negatively affected school spirit.

“It’s up to every grade to use their community spirit and how

38 percent of students believe that ESD has less school spirit than other schools

connected they are as a grade to impact the rest of the school,” Brand said. “I know seniors have a lot of responsibility to uplift the campus, and I think we are doing a good job.”

Baad also did not notice a change in school spirit this year and hopes to continue to improve on the support students have for each other.

“The vibe around school is always very positive, and kids seem really excited about being here,” Baad said. “The only place where I wish we could be a little better is in the breadth of our school spirit. We are very spirited about certain [sport] events and not so spirited about other events, and school spirit is about every activity that students are engaged in.”

For Brand, school spirit isn’t jut about dressing up and cheering, but also being supportive of other students during the day.

“Sometimes, [school spirit is] having a smile on your face or a nice thing to say to someone,” Brand said. “It’s not always the rah-rah school spirit that you need but a positive outlook on the day and on the week. [It could also be] knowing when someone else is having a bad day [and asking] them how they are.”

23 percent of students account less excitement at sporting events to a decrease in school spirit

Source: April 2 poll of 147 students

Life //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

13

culture

CRASH

CULTURE CRASH is a compilation of significant pop culture events made by life editors Blair Batson and Luke McCabe that highlight tech news & other short snippets of info regarding important people and events from around the globe.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Vitamin overload Supplements prove beneficial for dietary insufficiencies, misuse can cause serious consequences

#StayHome On March 24, a state-wide shelter-in-place order was issued that prohibited any nonessential activities outside of one’s home to slow the spread of COVID-19. With over one million cases worldwide, quarantining has become more important than ever in order to tackle this pandemic.

Homeschool The school began distance learning on March 24 using Zoom, Schoology conferences and Google Meets to hold classes. Teachers, students and administrators all pitch in and work together to make sure that schooling continues in an effective way.

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

The new Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” explores the not-so-secret underworld of big cats and their owners. Following the Tiger King himself, Joe Exotic, the series focuses on his feud with Big Cat Rescue owner Carol Baskin and the legal controversy behind owning these extraordinary animals.

Not so cheerful The much-anticipated NCA and NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance National Championship in Daytona, popularized by the Netflix series “Cheer,” has been canceled because of COVID-19. While an essential precaution, we will miss cheering on the Navarro dogs this year.

Hanks has it!

Famous actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson both tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11. The couple announced on Twitter that they are quarantining, feeling alright and taking it day by day. As Hanks once said, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”

Jokes on you On April 1, the internet blew up with online posts about the federal government requiring students to repeat the 2020 school year scaring students and teachers alike. There is no evidence whatsoever that any states will require students to repeat the year, despite school closures.

story and graphic by emily delgado

S

truggling to breathe, senior healthy and exercising regularly.

Sofia Weinstein was rushed “[Vitamins] are one of those to medical professionals things that can be a crutch,” Biggs as a 13-month-old baby. Upon said. “People think, ‘I took my oneher arrival, doctors were rendered a-day vitamin this morning, so I’m clueless after an asthma attack had good. That’s not how it works; it’s left her unable to take a normal a trade-off. It depends on what else breath for seven hours. After you’re eating with it and what else running several medical tests, the you’re doing with it.” cause was identified: allergies.

During flu season, many Since that incident years ago, students take powdered drink severe allergies have limited mixes that contain vitamin C, such Weinstein’s diet. She has resorted to as Emergen-C, in order to boost taking vitamins to make up for the their immune systems. Sixty-seven nutrients that she lacks. percent of students have taken these “I am allergic to dairy, so I can’t mixes before. drink milk,” Weinstein said. “I don’t Although vitamin C is an get a lot of calcium, so my doctor antioxidant that supports healthy recommended vitamins for me.” immune systems, the amount of According to the U.S. National the vitamin supplement in the Library of packaging is more than Medicine, “IT’S IMPORTANT one’s body can absorb supplemental and digest, resulting in a TO EDUCATE vitamins majority of the vitamin YOURSELF, DO are useful being disposed of in urine.

THE RESEARCH for helping “People think, ‘I’m AND FIND OUT people get going to take 1000 mg the medically of it this morning, and WHAT IS THIS recommended VITAMIN... MAKE I’ll be good for the rest amount of of the day,’” Biggs said.

SURE TO READ nutrients “Actually, you’re only good YOUR LABELS.” and minerals until about lunchtime, that are not and that 1000 mg is gone.

Marcia Biggs, received A small dose [taken] more Nurse through food frequently is going to be intake. more beneficial.”

“Vitamins can be beneficial to When used incorrectly, vitamins your health, but it depends on can be harmful. the vitamins and how much [you “You can get too much of a take,]” nurse Marcia Biggs said. good thing,” Biggs said. “If you “As Americans, most of us don’t eat take too many all at one time, well, so we don’t get everything that that’s probably going to upset we need from the food we take in.” your stomach. [It can also affect] According to an April 2 poll your intestines, and since most of 147 students, 52 percent people don’t drink enough water, of students take vitamins or things like iron supplements can supplements. constipate you.”

Some take vitamins to stay Additionally, the intake of too healthy. many vitamins can have severe “I take fish oil vitamins and other impacts on organs, such as the liver. pills every morning, and I’ve been “If you’re putting all these extra doing that since the fifth grade,” things in [your liver], it’s having to senior Parker Brennan said. “I can’t work harder to filter it out,” Biggs remember the last time I was sick, said. “And at some point, it’s going and that’s the goal: to make me as to get backed up and not be able healthy as possible.” to work the right way. Then, all While vitamins can be beneficial, that ends up in your bloodstream there are misconceptions that creating issues—everything from vitamins can take the place of eating turning yellow because of hepatitis,

which is an inflammation of your liver, to seizures because it’s messing with your heart chemicals and things of that nature.”

Recently, social media influencers have promoted vitamins and supplements for beauty purposes on platforms such as Instagram.

Many times, these products are not reliable or FDA approved.

Twenty percent of students currently take or have once taken vitamins promoted by influencers, and 78 percent believe those vitamins and supplements are untrustworthy.

Biggs believes it is important to research the vitamins or supplements that you plan on taking beforehand.

“It’s important to educate yourself, do the research and find out what is this vitamin,” Biggs said. “[You need to find out] for example, what is vitamin D? What does it really do for me? How does it help me? And, why do I need it? Make sure to read your labels.”

Only 27 percent of students fully know what makes up the vitamins they are taking. “[When deciding to take vitamins,] I just did research on what would be the best vitamins to take,” senior Zeke Gibson. “I take omega-3 and multivitamins, and [when I take them,] I feel better.”

Knowing what is in the vitamins you take is also important because certain vitamins and other supplements can counteract prescribed medications.

“I had to do research on which vitamins I could take with my anxiety medicine,” freshman Caroline Ragan said. “I found out that many of them could counteract my medicines if they were taken at the same time with it.”

If planning on using vitamins, Biggs recommends consulting a doctor to decide which vitamins are right for you and your lifestyle.

“Talk to your doctor or talk to other medical care professionals,” Biggs said. “I think vitamins are beneficial, but I think they can also be a problem. Vitamins are not a cure.”

14 // Centerspread

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Unity Finding story by

THREE FIVE PE WHITE. YEARS

evelyn zhao and luke mccabe

A

mong the student body, ESD is known for a history of having a very body. However, the school has recently made strides to increase stud environment for students to discuss issues concerning diversity thr programs. From numerous faculty conferences to admissions initiative hard to widen perspectives and open up to new ways of thinking, lea “When I first started working here [in 2003], I think we were about three or fou Outreach Coordinator Corey Henderson said. “Right now, we’re currently at abo

Student Experiences In middle school, Alumna Samantha Crain* ‘16 wa dogs. Every year around Chinese New Year, she was app in chapel. Classmates expected her to understand all th classes, even though she was Chinese-American. Crain her to feel singled out; other students of color were trea “I was always grooved and generalized, and I was a ESD, who were a person of color,” Crain said. “At that t with my own cultural identity, and there was also sense of privilege of upper class white classm were very cliquey as well, which was disconc isolating. But because of bullying, a lot o white classmates switched schools.”

Crain attributes some of the discriminatio a few classmates faced to the huge socio barrier within her grade at the time. She al a difference in culture and social ex contributed to exclusivity as well.

“A lot of my classmates were just highl and just really demeaning of my heritage i Crain said. “I got the sense that there w amount of pressure to conform to white u culture. Coming from a very frugal Asian bac [my] spare time was helping out with f family responsibilities, so it was kind of hear, ‘Oh, next weekend I’m going to off on my family’s private plane.’ It’s a c different world from what [I] knew, and times ostracizing” As a hispanic student, sophomore Paco Gom minorities in his grade are rarely faced with discr According to an April 2 poll of 147 students, 78 students feel that ESD is inclusive of ethnically dive However, Gomez believes that it can be hard for n accepted within certain social groups.

“I feel like the problem lies in where the culture of [C whose parents are first generation, and a lot of the times the c “Being one of the only two [Hispanic] kids in a grade where nobod the most welcoming environment, but right away, when people are visiting, I definitely can into within a couple minutes. I don’t want to label everybody in our grade, but I just see the t According to Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Elizabeth Goatley, it is normal if those w hard time fitting in, especially with solidified friend groups, but Goatley believes that students at their friend groups, without regard to their skin color.

“Our students of color and our underrepresented students might have a hard time fitting in, but it c been solidified,” Goatley said. “It is always hard being the new kid; it adds a different layer of work that many people who look like you in a class, and it may take a little bit longer to figure out where you fit in. seen any one specifically pushed out of a friend group or being told, ‘No, we can’t be your friend because yo When Gomez attended the Lower School, he found it difficult to make new friends.

“If I wanted to fit in or have people not think of me differently, I had to make my parents fit in as well be from the United States,” Gomez said. “I just saw myself as different, and I didn’t want to be seen as different my identity. I don’t necessarily feel left out, but at this point, it’s really hard to make brand new friends and When he transitioned into the Middle School, Gomez’s classmates would make insensitive comments an “When I talked about immigration, people would make a joke that climbing walls were in my genes,” Gom do anything to call attention to that side of myself. It’s just easier not to have to prove to [my classmates] th [being] in this environment for so long, I just adapted to our school’s [predominately-white] culture.”

What the School and Students Have Done To help new and prospective students find their niche before and at the start of their time at school, the program, was implemented to guide these students toward clubs, affinity groups, activities and classes academic needs.

“It gives the families and the kids that extra sense of support and guidance,” Henderson said. “When around like, ‘Okay, who can I find that I can talk to or lean on when things are kind of difficult, hard

graphic by

evelyn zhao

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Centerspread //

E PERCENT HISPANIC. ONE PERCENT MIDDLE-EASTERN. FOUR PERCENT ASIAN. THREE PERCENT AFRICAN- AMERICAN. ERCENT MULTIRACIAL. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT NATIVE-AMERICAN. THIRTEEN PERCENT UNKNOWN. AND 70 PERCENT . ALTHOUGH THESE STATISTICS FROM THE 2018-2019 SCHOOL YEAR MAY SEEM LOW, THEY ARE AN ACCUMULATION OF S OF JOINT EFFORT BY STUDENTS, FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS TO INCREASE STUDENT DIVERSITY AT ESD.

y homogeneous student and faculty dent diversity and provide an open rough the school’s curriculum and es for diversity, the school is working arning and including. ur percent diverse,” Admissions and out 20 to 21 percent diverse.”

we do to provide that extra layer for families coming in?”

The admissions officers frequently visit schools like the St. Phillip’s School and Good Shepherd Episcopal School to help prospective students get a feel of the School’s community.

“Part of my job is outreach,” Henderson said. “When I’m out in and around the community going to some of our feeder schools and talking to their administration and meeting with families and students, we get to explain who we are as a school and what we are looking for. As long as we continue to maintain the integrity, the philosophy of the school and those pillars in terms of what the school was founded on, we will continue to move in a positive direction.”

To create safe communities and spaces where various ethnic groups could identify with and appreciate a culture, racial affinity clubs such as Asian Council, Black Student Union, Latinos Unidos and Jewish Student Union were started by students. Two years ago, the Diversity and Inclusion Club and the Diversity Council was organized by the current seniors. “[In Diversity Club], we talk about how to handle certain discrimination, or sometimes people say racial slurs without thinking about it, so [we discuss] how to handle that, how can we improve that and how we want to represent diversity at the School,” Diversity Council officer and senior Yash Dayal said. “The School is not overly diverse, but I know we are getting better year by year. There’s always work to be done when it comes to our school’s diversity, so that’s what we try to do [as students].”

Last year, a Diversity Liaison position as part of the Executive Student Council Board was enacted to plan student-diversity activities and be the primary communication between the Diversity Council and the Student Council.

“When we were planning the advisory activity for the whole school, we had a lot of members of the Student Council help facilitate that activity, so I think having that link between Diversity Council and the Student Council has been helpful in that regard,” Diversity Liaison Zan Haq said. “As part of the Diversity Council, we can make the student body more aware and more understanding about how diversity operates and what that looks like, and I think then, we’re making a difference.”

as asked by her classmates if she ate pproached by faculty to give a speech hings related to East Asia in history n believes instances like these caused ated in a similar manner. a very small handful of students at time, I was really actively struggling o this huge mates, who certing and “I THINK IF WE of my non-

on she and o-economic lso believes xpectations

ly ignorant in general,” was a high upper class ckground... family and f jarring to be jetting completely d it was at

CONTINUE ON THIS TRAJECTORY I SEE GROWTH. I SEE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES LEARNING MORE ABOUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE DIVERSE IN THEIR OWN WAY, WHICH IS HEALTHY.” Corey Henderson, Admissions and Outreach Coordinator

mez believes rimination. percent of erse students. new students of color to fit in and be

Caucasian] kids differs from people cultures don’t interact,” Gomez said. dy else speaks Spanish might not be n tell what group they’re going to fit trends and the patterns.” who join a new environment have a ESD are open to allowing kids into

could just be that friend groups have t needs to be done when there aren’t But to my understanding, I haven’t our skin is colored.’”

ecause it’s obvious [that] they’re not t, so, at that point, I kind of rejected join an entire new social group.” nd jokes regarding immigration. mez said. “Afterwards, I didn’t really hat my heritage matters… and after

e Campfire initiative, a ‘big brother’ that would best fit their social and

n you first get here, [you’re] looking d or when things are easy.’ What can

Faculty Diversity Part of the School’s philosophy is diverse learning, and the School works to recruit diverse faculty as part of its academic philosophy.

However, Head of Human Resources Dawn Lewis says it is more than just ethnicity that is considered when pairing teachers with curriculums and classes.

“Our goal is always to put the best teacher in the best seat, but we want to make sure that we’re looking at all that a candidate can bring,” Lewis said. “Can they be a valuable asset and otherwise to the school? Can they coach? Can they teach? Can they lead clubs?”

The school’s hiring committee assesses a number of other factors, including leadership abilities and diversity of thought, in order to make sure that a prospective staff member would not only fit in with the ideals of the school, but hopefully expand the ideals and perspectives of all.

Lewis attends diversity specific hiring fairs and she and faculty members attend professional development sessions to improve mindfulness. The National Business Office Association, SDLC and People of Color Conference are all examples of such events.

“The People of Color Conference was started primarily as a way for teachers who are persons of color to build support networks,” AP Physics teacher Matthew Varvir said. “There is a lot of emphasis [on how to]...more effectively work with students of color, or to try to make sure that in their own classroom they’re employing practices that embrace diversity, rather than try to either push it down, or trigger micro aggressions.”

Varvir has attended the POCC and SDLC for three years now in addition to the mandatory professional development sessions for the entire faculty. He says that, for him, curriculum mindfulness and teaching strategy is key. As a STEM teacher, he says that people of color and women have been at a disadvantage simply because of the way it has been taught in the past geared toward a certain demographic.

“For physics in general, there is already a, for lack of a better word, diversity crisis,” Varvir said. “I think what’s important is trying to figure out how you’re teaching and trying to see what sorts of ways you may be inadvertently discouraging diversity or in what ways you are encouraging diversity and trying to capitalize on them.”

Steps Toward Improvement With the Lower School now on the School’s main campus, school-wide and classroom activities to increase awareness and educate students about diversity strengthened this year with events such as performances by the Dallas Black Dance Theater and African dance troupes and a Chinese Lunar New Year dragon dance celebration.

“Because [the Lower School] is over here, I get to interact with them more,” Goatley said. “These activities are for our kids to see different cultures recognized on campus and be exposed to that. They get to honor and celebrate those differences that are among students and families, but we really get to do a lot with the Lower School.”

To foster conversations about diversity in the Upper School classroom, the English curriculum has changed over the last few years to incorporate more authors from different ethnic backgrounds, with the freshman curriculum primarily focusing on epics.

“We’ve been having a lot of deep conversations about the kinds of texts that we’re bringing to students, our purposes and our goals that we have for students,” English teacher and Curriculum Specialist Lindsey Cullins said. “We want to make sure that we are seizing opportunities to extend beyond mere analysis to be aware of the beauty of diversity in literary traditions and to be able to borrow ideas from a tradition that [students] never had exposure to. There’s so many more opportunities to expand yourself as a writer by encountering new ways and new styles.”

In the history and ethics curriculum, a Race in America course was recently added to the course curriculum guide to encourage and give students the opportunity to discuss the topic of race.

“The class comes about for a couple of reasons,” U.S. History and Race in America teacher Claire Mrozek said. “One of them is the fact that race and race conflicts are problems that the United States has never really figured out how to address productively, and it just has always resonated with me that this is something that we need to get better at...especially in a predominantly white institution. But it also occurred to me that one of the problems is that we don’t talk about race very much [in a classroom setting].”

Assignments include reading pieces from the perspective of African Americans, finding racial dimensions to current events, completing a project on racial groups in America and analyzing a pop culture song that addresses the race issue. “[These assignments] give kids a chance to see how racism does play a role in their daily lives, [which] is a pre-recurring theme of the class,” Mrozek said.

“We’re starting to talk about racial identity, and that’s going to be the start of a sequence that’s going to address racism and cultural sensitivity and some other manifestations in the way that kids and adults interact.”

In the end, no matter what approach the School takes, as long as it takes small steps and measures to foster improvements in diversity, change is bound to occur.

“I think if we continue on this trajectory I see growth,” Henderson said. “I see students and families learning more about what it’s like to be diverse in their own way, which is healthy. Some people don’t feel like they are diverse, but I think everybody has that diversity in them. It’s just about digging deep inside and figuring out who they are as a person.” *names have been changed to protect the students’ identities.

of students believe ESD is socioecomically diverse

of students believe ESD’s diversity has improved in the last few years Source: April 2 poll of 147 ESD students

15

16 // Life

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Binge-watching craze Cheer

reviews by

gardiner vose and emily lichty From the heartwarming story of a competitive cheer team to the study of infectious diseases, these four documentaries are the perfect escape from social distancing. Each documentary sheds light on an informative, yet captivating topic that keeps the viewer hooked from start to finish. With powerful interviews and impressive camera work, each documentary is great for binge-watching while in quarantine.

I was initially skeptical of “Cheer.” Six hour-long episodes focused on cheerleading didn’t seem like something I would enjoy, yet, ultimately, I found myself hooked. Located in the small-town of Corsicana, Texas, “Cheer” tells the story of the renowned cheer team at Navarro College and their journey to the National Cheerleading Championships in Daytona, Florida. The Netflix docuseries captures the struggle and pain hidden in cheerleading as well as the personal stories of several of the teammates. The Navarro cheerleaders show incredible athleticism, skill, perseverance and authenticity. Through excellent camera work and editing, the docuseries is patched together in a way that is both cohesive and powerful. The difficult circumstances the cheerleaders experienced to end up at Navarro are highlighted, making the story personal and heartwarming. The team’s coach, Monica Aldama, is firm and demanding, but she is also a role model for the team. The inspiration and love she provides is what drives each cheerleader toward success on the cheerleading mat and in life. “Cheer” is highly entertaining and doesn’t feel like a documentary, but it is a binge-worthy television series.

Free Solo

“Free Solo,” National Geographic’s Academy Award-winning documentary, focuses on professional rock climber Alex Honnold as he attempts to climb El Capitan, a 3,000 feet tall cliff in Yosemite National Park, without ropes—a perilous feat no one has ever accomplished before. Honnold’s journey is captivating and somewhat terrifying, as the physical and mental difficulty of the challenge seems near impossible. The film is successful at showing Honnold’s brutally honest and carefree demeanor. His quirky personality paired with the difficulty of his goal makes the nearly-two-hour documentary compelling. “Free Solo” also depicts the challenges of the cameramen, who were required to capture the most important moments of the climb while also staying out of Honnold’s way. However, while the film had beautiful shots of the scenery and the climb, it at times lacked explanation for certain moments or jumped to new scenes in confusing ways.

Focusing on basic rock climbing terms or practices would have provided clarity to Honnold’s journey for viewers without prior knowledge of rock climbing and would have added perspective on how difficult Honnold’s goal was. Scenes of Honnold training on other cliffs seemed to be placed randomly in the film without any explanation, and the film had little clear direction until right before he attempted the final climb. Despite this, the film displayed a story of courage and of a passion for living life to the fullest that has viewers on the edge of their seat from start to finish. “Free Solo” can be streamed on Hulu and is also available for rent or purchase on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Google Play.

Plastic Ocean “Plastic Ocean,” a brief documentary directed by the Australian journalist Craig Leeson, covers a pressing issue: excessive consumption of single-use plastics around the world. The documentary team goes to various countries and oceans around the world and discusses the effects of overconsumption on human and wildlife populations and the climate. While watching this, I became almost sad as I watched images of polluted oceans and overflowing landfills polluted with objects many of us use each day without a second thought. The documentary team shows this destruction through autopsies of dead sea animals, revealing the immense amount of plastic buildup in their insides, a possible reason for their death. The documentary also provides a look at the largest contributors to this issue, which happens to be under-developed countries who do not have adequate facilities to properly dispose of waste. The documentary sheds light on the dire conditions citizens in these countries endure due to pollution. Some of these communities are literally built on mountains of plastic and are burning the trash, risking their health and damaging the atmosphere.

This documentary preaches a profound call to action and shows just how far reaching and devastating overconsumption is. “Plastic Ocean” can be streamed on Netflix and is also available for rent or purchase on Vudu, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Google Play.

Pandemic

Pandemic is a Netflix original documentary series that follows doctors and scientists around the globe as they search to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as the flu and Ebola and develop new treatments. The film crew goes into areas where the risk of new diseases developing is high, such as Chineses meat and produce markets and large chicken farms across the world. These scientists describe how the data obtained from these facilities helps prevent and predict upcoming epidemics by predicting the new strains of disease. I have always wondered how the flu vaccine is created and tailored to each year’s flu strains, so it was very informative to hear from the scientists who develop the vaccines. The film crew also follows doctors in various settings around the world—such as a rural town in Oklahoma and the slums of India— during the advent of flu season. This documentary is especially topical and relevant since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has spread rapidly and all over the world. This documentary is however a little too long, consisting of six hour-long episodes.

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

EE

editors-in-chief

Emily Delgado, Victoria Willox & Evelyn Zhao

copy editor

Jiaying Fu

news editor

Lauren Egger

life editors

Blair Batson & Luke McCabe

views editor

Alán Benítez

sports editor

Lauren Weber

business manager Gardiner Vose

photo editor

Riley Breaux

digital relations Ava Brennan

staff writers

Smith Cochran, Kara Dross, Sloane Hope, Grace Knudson, Alexander Konradi, Carolyn Langford, Emily Lichty, Gina Montagna, Raleigh Toledo

cartoonist

Sumner Wooldridge

adviser

Ana Rosenthal

MISSION STATEMENT

The Eagle Edition is a student-produced newspaper published six times a year with the intent to educate in a professional manner and provide a voice for the Community. The Eagle Edition has earned Gold and Silver Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Pacemaker Awards from the National Scholastic Press Association and Gold Stars from the Interscholastic League Press Conference.

Circulation is 1000 copies, and the student population is 782.

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School should be transparent about device management program

A

fter a two-week pilot in Upper School classrooms, Director of Educational Technology Mary Hansell concluded that Impero, a device management program, would not be implemented in the Upper School.

Device management programs like Impero have been and will continue to be piloted in the School as part of an effort to help students stay focused on classroom initiatives and limit distractions. As a staff, the Eagle Edition believes the school should strive for a network that will fulfill the goal of device management if they see it necessary, but should stay wary of the line of privacy that some of the systems cross. The systems are becoming pervasive among schools that are a part of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and have proven successful in ensuring students are kept on track in learning environments.

Despite the extensive search for a program that would fulfill the school’s goal, Impero was ultimately inoperative in the Upper School because of all the students owning independent devices. In the Middle School, however, the Impero pilot was carried out and is now fully functioning—all Middle School students’ devices are schoolmanaged.

Moving forward in the search for an effective program, Hansell is considering returning to the use of NetRef, a system that was used in classrooms beginning around March of last year but had many flaws at the time.

The introduction of Impero

Staff Stance caused a commotion among students throughout the Upper School when they began to notice the icon on their Chrome web pages prior to the educational technology department’s formal commencement of the pilot for device management. The students immediately researched Impero’s capabilities and accused the School of invading their privacy with spyware. However, Hansell publicly announced that although Impero has many services, such as tracking and 24/7 visibility, the School would only make use of them

graphic by

victoria willox

78

percent of students believe device management programs are not effective*

99

percent of students believe device management programs should not be used in school* *according to a April 2 poll of 147 students

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EDITORIAL POLICY

The staff abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, faculty or staff.

This is a student-run publication and a forum for student voices. All images in the Eagle Edition are student produced, republished with permission, are in the public domain or fall within fair-use practices for criticism and news reporting.

BYLINE POLICY

All articles, graphics, photos, art, columns, page design, reviews or other material produced by Advanced Journalism students carry the creator’s byline with the exception of the Staff Stance, which is the official, collective voice of the Eagle Edition.

Eagle Edition | vol. 37, issue 4 The Episcopal School of Dallas 4100 Merrell Rd. Dallas, TX 75229 eagleedition@esdallas.org (214) 358-4368

Most mornings for me consist of quickly rushing through the house grabbing books, binders and breakfast while the drone of the Good Morning America, CNN or Fox News plays on the TV in the background. Recently, the news has been filled with talk of the coronavirus and before that President Trump’s impeachment, both important issues to the nation.

But what about the stories that hit closer to home and influence our lives more directly? These stories

are covered by local newspapers and journalists, which is an industry in steep decline across the country. This could mean disaster for individual communities who rely on local reporting to stay informed on issues that will impact them most greatly and keep local governments in check.

There is a saying that journalism is the fourth branch of the government. It keeps our elected officials in check and exposes government corruption if needed.

Letter from the

during school hours.

Moving forward through the experimentation of new programs, it would also be helpful for the students to receive warning of the management taking place. This was the basis of much of the concern with Impero and why students began jumping to conclusions.

Receiving an alert of the school’s plan of usage of the programs could prevent much of the uproar in the future. As long as the students stay informed of the full extent of what the school is implementing, many can more easily come to terms with the changes.

142 students, 92 percent of students think local journalism is important; furthermore, 35 percent of students subscribe to local news sights and papers. One of the best ways to support local papers is to pay for a subscription, so it is encouraging that students are acknowledging our local news sources this way.

According to the New York Times, 1 in 5 newspapers have closed across the U.S., and even more local papers have undergone significant layoffs. Dallas’ papers are no exception to this trend. Last year, it was announced the Dallas Morning News would eliminate 92 jobs and stop printing the Dallas Observer and the Fort Worth Weekly.

According to D Magazine, the Dallas Morning News said printing contracts with smaller papers “are no longer in [their] favor.” Without support from their community, our local papers are dying out, and with it knowledge of our neighborhoods and society is being stifled.

editors

Watergate is of course a prime example of the importance of political reporting on a national level, but local governments are just as susceptible to corruption and without local papers who else would keep these institutions in check?

According to an April 2 poll of

Editors-in-Chief, Emily, Evelyn & Victoria

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Letter to the

Editors

Women in politics remain subject to sexism

Dear Eagle Edition staff, It is said that hard times bring people together. While COVID-19 is a tragic virus that I seriously hope is terminated, I have to admit—it has unified the world. This global state of emergency has connected people with a shared experience and common adversary—the virus.

Yesterday, I took a walk around my neighborhood and saw dozens of others, walking with their families and eagerly greeting my mom and me as we passed. On social media, young people are sharing relatable quarantine experiences and providing suggestions for how others can stay occupied.

Even online school has provided students with a greater appreciation for our community.

The seniors this year are placed in an unprecedented position.

The second semester of senior year is infamous for being a time of tradition and lasts, and currently, the Class of 2020 has to spend much of that time at home. While I know that they all want to be back at school and are extremely disappointed, they have refused to cede the rest of their year. They are still attending optional classes and engaging in their work. Despite their discontent with these conditions, they have not given up on their senior year, and in doing so, they are establishing a strong precedent for the Class of 2021 to follow.

COVID-19 has altered lives all around the world, but for the most part, people are responding well (despite the fact that we may forever suffer from a toilet paper deficit). Our generation has never experienced such radical changes in routine, and so the question arises: How will living through this global crisis impact the world? For our generation, growing up with such access to the Internet and social media has almost placed an illusion around certain sobering topics. We tend to not take things as seriously.

I remember when news of COVID-19 first spread—social media attenuated the virus and turned it into a meme.

Even when it reached the U.S., many still viewed it in the same pacified manner. Now, however, despite the fact everyone seems eager to continue living outside of their homes, most have abided by quarantine guidelines with respect for others.

I think the virus has the potential to alter young peoples’ perceptions of crises, causing us to view them with more gravity. Now that Dallas County has announced a quarantine extension to May 20—I feel certain there will be an indelible impact on our community, one that entails a remembrance of global unification and the perseverance of a caring zeitgeist.

Lauren Weber, junior

Women face added struggles that men do not

W

e hear a different variation of this same message every election cycle: The little girls watching at home will have to wait another four years to see a woman president.

We heard it when Hillary Clinton lost in 2016, and we heard it again when Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race after Super Tuesday. While the results of early voting and Super Tuesday states rendered Warren’s ability to obtain the nomination impossible, her dropping out was still deeply saddening, partly because it made me realize no matter how organized and how competent a woman in politics is, the barriers to success are so much larger and partly because it forced me to come to terms with the sad reality: America missed out on an Elizabeth Warren presidency.

With a background as a teacher, law professor and senator, Warren brought a versatile set of skills to the stage. She wasn’t a career politician like Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders, but she also didn’t lack adequate experience in politics like Tom Steyer or Andrew Yang.

Warren was regarded as the candidate with a plan, which was no understatement. She had a multitude of unique, comprehensive plans. Channeling her extensive knowledge on bankruptcy law, she devised a series of plans to tackle corruption at the highest levels of government. She realized that an

carolyn langford

staff writer

income tax alone could not address America’s serious income inequality and advocated for a wealth tax on the top 0.1 percent that could bring in $3.75 million in revenue within a 10-year period. She realized that monopolies in the tech industry have hindered competition and aimed to break up big-tech.

Warren’s policy ideas set her up for a successful presidency.

She was in the middle of Biden’s centrism and Sanders’ radical disposition. Rather than deeming herself a democratic socialist, she was pragmatic. She expressed her belief in capitalism, acknowledging that capitalism is only effective if there are rules in place. Her policies while seemingly similar to Sanders’ did differ—a lower wealth tax,

less money invested in affordable housing and a transition phase before Medicare for all, for instance.

Ironically, it was this middle-ofthe-left approach that significantly damaged her election prospects. In this originally crowded democratic primary, it appeared there was no room for a middle-of-the-way approach; it was Biden’s centrism or Bernie’s radicalism. So instead of being the unity candidate, she was an outlier.

However, her not-quiteBiden-but-not-quite-Bernie progressiveness was not the sole contributor to the demise of her campaign’s momentum. The other cause was subtler but persistently present. It’s a phenomena that too-often leads capable, intelligent

graphic by

blair batson

women to be overlooked: sexism.

The type of sexism that harmed Warren was not overt claims of “I don’t want to vote for her because she’s a woman,” it was the invisible barriers women face, often referred to as the glass ceiling. This sexism was implicit—the same sexism that harmed Hillary and for that matter, any woman in politics. It was the double standards that scrutinize women for actions that men can comfortably get away with—it would have been severely difficult for a woman with Biden’s gaffes and Bernie’s yelling to make it as far as they did. It was the extra measures that women have to take to maintain a positive public image— don’t dress too masculine but don’t dress too feminine; don’t act too girly but also don’t seem like you’re trying to act like a man; don’t wear too much make-up but also look presentable; and don’t be too angry but don’t be too calm.

The only way to truly eradicate this implicit sexism in politics is to elect more women and focus on their intelligence and effectiveness rather than personality and looks— to finally shatter the glass ceiling.

Politics has and most likely always will be a game of public perception, but the sexism ingrained in our elections is only perpetuating the white-male-dominated Washington.

We need to tackle this pervasive sexism. I’m tired of seeing the most competent candidate lose.

Pets provide quarantine upside People bonding with pets while stuck inside, pet adoptions spike

While the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has uprooted the lives of millions in a multitude of ways, it has also given families the time to care for their pets and even extended a hand to shelters that are understaffed and suffering from overpopulation and lack of resources.

Many animal shelters in the Dallas area, such as Dallas Animal Services and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, have expressed their dire situations via social media in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak. Most shelters have been forced to close to the public in an effort to mitigate the spread of the virus, leaving them with excess animals and scrambling to find solutions to empty kennels.

The process has become overwhelming for many shelters as they have had to lay off staff members; they are left with only

a skeleton crew responsible for cleaning, feeding and walking the animals, in addition to management of the adoption and foster system.

The lack of employees in shelters that usually rely on in-person help has forced shelters to turn to social media to promote their animals for adoption and fostering.

With many posts on every social media platform, the shelters are getting creative with the operations for their adoption and fostering systems. Some organizations are now using Instagram live streams to showcase each available cat and dog by holding them up for the potential owners to choose from.

The viewers can ask questions and then set up phone calls and video chats for house checks to ensure the safety of the animal’s future home. These virtual adoption events provide a simple way to adopt an animal that is in keeping with the

new social distancing standards.

When a foster parent or owner is ready to pick up their animal, drivethrough pickups are available for a quick transfer process.

Fostering now is a great opportunity for people that may not otherwise have the time to care for a pet due to work or school obligations. Also, according U.S. News & World Report, social isolation is proven to decrease mental health and increase loneliness, and a furry friend can be the perfect solution to the boredom of quarantine and loneliness. At the end of the foster time, the foster parent can help find a forever home by posting on social media or can usually return the animal back to the shelter. Either way, taking a little weight off of the shelters during this time is greatly beneficial.

Some hesitation received from shelters during the pandemic has

been due to the risk of spreading the virus through bringing a new pet home. However, the Center for Control and Disease has not received any reports of pets or any other animals testing positive for COVID-19. There is currently no evidence that pets can spread the virus.

Moving forward, it is important to recognize the circumstances of many of the shelters throughout the pandemic. The shelters have to prepare for people giving up their pets eventually due to financially not being able to take care of them as a result of the economic strain the virus’ effects have put on many families. This will cause overpopulation in shelters, and in order to prevent euthanization, it is crucial that families in quarantine take advantage of their free time and put it toward saving the lives of animals.

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

19

pro Citywide gentrification raises questions con $

$$$

graphic by

victoria willox

Pro: Gentrification boosts economy Gentrification is the movement of affluent people into low-income areas, renovating housing and facilities. While this process tends to push out the buisness previous low-income residents, it also allows for the editor introduction of younger, innovative and higherincome people.

These young people tend to bring a cultural revival to these neighborhoods and encourage the introduction of new businesses. It also attracts the emigration of innovative people from other places in the country, which further improves economic opportunities into these once-stagnant neighborhoods.

In cases where neighborhoods undergo gentrification, such as Brooklyn in New York, the existing population of homeowners who are able to keep up with the rent prices, their apartment or land prices increase significantly. Fear of gentrification, however, can be dangerous because it can limit the economic advancement and cultural evolution of an area. New York City was Amazon’s top choice for their second headquarters; however, the city denied the multi-billion-dollar company the opportunity to open their headquarters because of the fear that rent and home prices would increase in the surrounding areas, resulting in pushing out people who could not afford these prices.

What New York did not keep in mind was the idea that the addition of a new Amazon headquarters would provide more job opportunities for the citizens in New York and improve an already-teeming local economy. Declining Amazon the opportunity to build a new headquarters is an insult to a capitalist society and is a dangerous precedent to set for the nation.

Gentrification may also be an incentive for people who are in the existing neighborhood to seek new jobs with a higher salary in order to keep up with rent. These new jobs can also in turn invigorate the economy and provide these people with more opportunities such as promotions or raises which would be beneficial for them, their community, and the economy.

Although gentrification can be a difficult process that can displace people from their existing neighborhoods, it is a healthy aspect of city life and is necessary for the success of urban developments. gardiner vose

42

percent of students believe that gentrification is benificial for society*

elliott mccabe

staff writer

COVID-19 took the world by surprise as global pandemics have not seemed to be a common occurrence, however, humanity should not have been shocked.

History has shown us that time and time again epidemics are a constant problem.

From the Black Death in the

Con: Gentrification damages community Walking around Bishop Arts is an exciting way to spend an afternoon in Dallas. It is fun to go try out victoria trendy new restaurants and cafés that line the freshley willox editor-in-chief muraled brick buildings of Davis St. However, beyond the picturesque, millennial landscape that Bishop Arts offers lies Oak Cliff, a low income area in Dallas that is deeply affected by the gentrification of their community.

Gentrification is a natural process that must take place for a city to continue to prosper, grow and expand; however, poor planning and integration can make it disastrous for low income communities. Along with Bishop Arts, Trinity Groves represents another area of Dallas undergoing the gentrification revolution. In 2017, around 300 low income residents of Trinity Groves were evicted after new apartment buildings, restaurants and other businesses began to take over their streets and they were no longer able to pay their rent.

The areas undergoing gentrification have positive transformations such as an influx of new customers, safer streets and education improvements, but it ultimately is pushing out low income residents who have nowhere to go. Often the residents pushed out of these newly gentrified areas are forced into homelessness, a rising crisis in our city. Dallas has the highest poverty rate of any major city in the country and according to D Magazine; in the last 15 years, unsheltered homelessness in Dallas has increased by 262 percent. This is largely because of the lack of low-income housing options in Dallas, an error of city planners.

New York City, and Brooklyn specifically, is an area undergoing rapid gentrification, namely in the neighborhood of Park Slope, which underwent a drastic influx of young families and wealthier residents looking for more affordible housing than pricy Manhattan.

However, this pushed many longtime residents out of their homes and into lower income surrounding areas or worse onto the streets just like we are seeing in Dallas.

Gentrification has become a hidden issue in Dallas and across the country, however, the repercussions of this epidemic are very real. Although gentrification benefits those of us who can afford to utilize the amenities that it brings to an area, it puts the low income residents of our community at further disadvantage. Instead of cities focusing on increasing urban development they need to focus on urban integration to build communities that are accessible to all income levels.

60

percent of students believe that gentrification should not continue to occur* *according to a April 2 poll of 147 students

COVID-19 pandemic was a surprise for most Americans; however, America should have been better prepared early 14th century to Dysentery in the 18th century, and form Cholera in the 19th century to the the Spanish flu in the 20th century, the modern world has experienced numerous global pandemics all of which have wreaked havoc on economies and populations worldwide.

One would think that with all the modern medicinal technology, experience with plagues, and historical knowledge of the aftereffects of pandemics, we would have prepared ourselves far better in

the event of another.

COVID-19, a person-to-person spreading virus, began in China in late 2019 and within a couple of months had infected more than 1,000,000 people worldwide and more than 270,000 in the U.S. alone. The first cases of the virus were discovered in December 2019, but once the world realized that a pandemic was present, it was already too late. The United States and the world needs to be better prepared to stop these pandemics before their spread and contain

them in the country of origin.

As of today, much of the United States and Europe is under “shelterin-place” and “social distancing” orders, and according to the New York Post, vaccine trials are still in phase 1 of 3. These efforts are valiant, but they are late.

Medical professionals worldwide are realizing now that precautions and a strategy for controlling diseases other than simply shutting down economies and urging citizens to stay home are necessary in the future.

COVID-19 has taught the world a valuable lesson that should have been learned after the countless past epidemics. We as a society must prepare ourselves and look to our pasts carefully to identify and strategize how we can defeat and most effectively combat new epidemics that will invariably appear.

Whether that solution is predicting vaccines or being able to differentiate between common sickness and global pandemic, the medical sector must get to work and get to work fast to save mankind in the future.

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Coronavirus forces essential industries to put low-wage workers at risk daily Pandemic spreads rapidly the more people move around, companies instead need to teach workers to stay at home

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s the outbreak of COVID-19 spreads more across the world and the United Stated each day, the demand for labor in essential industries rises in order to treat sick patients in hospitals and restock grocery store shelves. The essential workers or the people who are working throughout this pandemic to keep people alive, fed and safe are putting their life on the line and should be compensated accordingly.

Although many essential workers continue to work through this crisis without any extra demands, there are others who are going on strike. In fact, a number of grocery store employees in California are demanding higher wages because of how dangerous the work they are doing is right now, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Many of the essential workers who are still employed are in low-wage industries as grocery store workers or gas station clerks who are often underpaid. Now these workers are risking their health and the health of their family and friends when they go out to work. Minimum wage is not fair to them or to their families as they are voluntarily putting themselves at a much greater risk for infection by continuing to go to work.

I believe that these men and women should be temporarily given double their average wage for their service to the community and their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. But for some, even double wage may not be enough to compensate for the amount of work that they are doing.

For healthcare workers that are on the front lines of the pandemic, there is the factor of an emotional and physical toll on their being which should be considered. For many of the nurses and doctors in large cities and heavily affected areas, which is most of the world at this point, they are working for days on end without a break in order to try and save the lives of those who are worst affected by the virus.

These workers are also being exposed daily to the tragedies of the lives lost and the chaos of cities.

And there can be a significant psychological toll that can be worse than any type of physical exhaustion they may experience.

In many of the over-run hospitals such as those in New York or Italy, there is a growing

SOCIAL STUDIES | cultural commentary

shortage of protection equipment which is forcing healthcare workers to reuse sterile gowns and other materials as they await the arrival of new ones. According to the New York Times, one hospital in San Francisco has had to announce that they will be out of nasal swabs within the week and, as a result, will be unable to test patients for the virus. The shortage of healthcare equipment shows a fault in our healthcare systems and is making an already perilous situation for hospital staff and other workers even more dangerous.

For other food delivery services such as Favor or Uber Eats, employees are putting their health at risk as they travel around empty cities in order to pick up and deliver food to people who are practicing social distancing or following stay at home orders. This job can leave these workers and clients particularly vulnerable to infection as the workers are constantly handling food and touching surfaces such as door handles.

These food services should help to protect their clientele and their delivery workers by providing them sufficient protective gear that they can use while on the job. If the company itself does not want to provide the equipment, they should give their employees a sufficient enough pay raise in order to purchase the necessary materials for their service.

Although it is easy to say what large companies should do in crisis situations such as this one, many of these suggestions are easier said than done. Every aspect of life has changed since the advent of this virus and companies should be given an adjustment period to create new standards for their employees that prioritize their health.

Furthermore, I believe that workers who are being laid off during these times due to economic uncertainty should be given severance packages in order to support them and their families for the next few weeks while the nation practices social distancing. According to CNBC, the median American family has about $11,700 in savings. With children out of school and food banks closed, many families will soon spend all of their paychecks and grow hungry if not given appropriate severance packages.

By Gardiner Vose

Cabin fever

comic by

sumner wooldridge

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Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

count DOWN The worst to the best of the month, ranked by Grace Knudson

8

Dispiriting distancing With the rise of the COVID-19 in the United States and Dallas County, ESD, among most schools nationwide, has switched to online learning for the safety of our community, therefore classes have shifted to Zoom video conferences.

7

Exam jam College Board AP exams will now be digital and offered to take during two separate days.

Tests will only be 45 minutes for all subjects. Some subjects have been postponed until later and some have even been cancelled.

6 5 4 3 2 1

Unpromising prom This year’s junior-senior prom, “Making Waves,” was planned to take place on March 28 at The Dallas Museum of Art. However, because of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the committee has postponed it hoping to continue this school tradition.

SPC-eason adjourned As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, all school sports practices and games have been cancelled for the rest of the season. Additionally, the Southwest Preparatory Conference has cancelled all spring SPC athletic events.

Test for the best Everyone in the Upper School completed their first-ever mandatory hair drug test in early March. The hair samples determined if any recreational drugs or commonly abused prescription medications were used. Additionally, random tests are planned to occur in late August.

Un-egg-citing Easter On the school’s original calendar it stated April 13, Easter Monday, was a day off until ESD Executive Leadership decided to resume classes early to make up lost time from the virus and the tornado in October.

Prime permaculture The permaculture club placed rocks and planted Jerusalem artichoke and cactus to make a check dam that will reduce water flow, erosion and pollution around the quarry.

So far, it has worked effectively.

O-so-positive drive The National Honor Society hosted a spring blood drive for Carter BloodCare on March 2. All faculty, staff and Upper School students 16 years or older were eligible to donate to the cause. The club successfully reached more than half their goal of 50 donors.

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Hispanic population on campus diminishes Latinos Unidos club creates space for Latino students in Upper School to interact

gina montagna

staff writer

As I looked around, it struck me that I was the only Hispanic freshman girl in the room. I scanned the area to see if I could spot the only other Hispanic person in my grade who also proudly identified themself as Hispanic. Realizing that I was alone, I sat down at the back of the room, and never mentioned that I spoke Spanish.

That was my first Latinos Unidos club meeting a year ago, and it completely changed my perspective of being a Latina girl at ESD. Unfortunately, the amount of Hispanic students at our school is dwindling, and this lack of diversity will lead to misrepresentation of the largest minority group in the U.S. In Middle School, I never spoke Spanish at school and didn’t really share with people that I was Mexican unless asked. The first time I had ever heard Spanish spoken amongst students at school was when I joined Latinos Unidos. I had never seen students embracing and celebrating their culture at school without fear of judgement.

That was when I knew that I had found a gem of a club where I could spend time with people who shared my culture. For the first time at ESD, I

began to openly speak Spanish with my Hispanic friends in Latinos Unidos, and I became more proud of my ethnicity.

Latinos Unidos provides a safe space for me and others to express ourselves and teach club members about our culture.

However, the number of selfidentifying Hispanic students at our school is dropping as more seniors graduate. I am worried for the future of not only the Latinos Unidos Club, but also the diminishing Hispanic population at school. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, in 2017, there were 60 million Hispanic Americans, and according to the Pew Research Center, 26 percent of Texans in 2017 were of Mexican origin. These statistics display how big of an impact Hispanics can make on the laws in our country.

Having a widely educated minority will allow themselves to properly form their own opinions and be able to vote for bills that will include and benefit them.

This is why Hispanic students should be properly represented in all schools so that they can be educated in a diverse environment. Queens University in North Carolina claims that students thrive in more diverse environments because it allows them to learn about

new perspectives and social problems.

A lack of Hispanic students at our school causes the community to not properly understand the opinions of local Latinos. So, how will it be possible for the community to be efficient in tackling racial and ethnic issues?

The United States Census Bureau reports that Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S. as of 2018, making up 18.3 percent of the population.

Hispanic voters and organizations have the power to sway elections, and Latinos are always striving to find government representatives who can protect and represent them. Thus, organizations constantly try to accommodate minorities because of the impacts their opinions have on the rest of the U.S. In contrast, our school suffers from a lack of Latinos, which affects how the student body and, ultimately, how the administration makes decisions. This is a result of minimal outreach toward prospective Hispanic students and as the amount of them slowly diminishes, our voice becomes smaller and less significant.

The school needs to confront this lack of diversity amongst the student body because it promotes a lack of education of current American issues that minorities are facing in the real world. A more diverse community advocates for a less racist and more cultured state of mind. The school’s diverse clubs have changed my life, and I would like for them to continue being open to students. Finally, how will the continuation of Hispanic diversity be possible if the Hispanic population at ESD is becoming extinct?

Socialism is not the solution to better our nation Imposing ideas of past socialist dictators causes history to repeat itself riley breaux

photo editor

Climate reform. Universal healthcare. Equity. These topics all sound like good ideas—ideas backed by the likes of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. What else do these ideas have in common? They are all part of a package called democratic socialism.

First, it’s important to define this term. According to Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the U.S., democratic socialism is a “socialist economy in which the means of production are socially and collectively owned or controlled.” According to Encyclopedia Britannica, socialism is defined as an “economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources.”

After reading these definitions, one should probably ask, “So, what’s the difference?” And thus, we reach my point. There is no difference.

Democratic socialism is Marxist socialism parading around with the disguise of the word “democratic.” And, unfortunately, it’s working.

According to a 2019 poll by Pew Research Center, 42 percent of Americans—and 65 percent of registered Democrats—have a “somewhat or very positive view of socialism.” That’s approximately 115 million eligible voters

graphic by

alán benítez that support the policies of socialist dictators Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Nicolás Maduro, Hugo Chávez and Adolf Hitler, who hold a collective death count of over 100 million.

By this point, you’re hopefully wondering, “Why would anyone support socialism?” I wonder the same thing. I understand where the support is coming from. I agree that poverty is a terrible thing, and I don’t want anyone living in poverty. I agree that healthcare is horrendously overpriced, and I wish more people could be able to afford it.

I also agree that pollution is a problem, and I support working to make the Earth a cleaner place to live. I just think that there is a better way to fix all of these problems.

We can help lift people from poverty by investing in low-income areas, which creates jobs and puts more money into the hands of the people living there. I support government funding medical research so long as a contract is signed preventing the pharmaceutical companies from inflating the price on the government-funded medication. I support regulations requiring companies

to release an annual report on their environmental impact, and I support consumers boycotting the companies with the worst emissions, forcing them to change.

What I don’t support is a government that claims they can fix everything by raising your taxes. I don’t support a system that claims that giving more money to the government will give more power to the people. I don’t support a millionaire politician with three homes who promises to give my money to his voter base. I don’t support a billionaire who owns three helicopters, six planes, and 42 cars and lectures me on why public transportation is better for the environment.

I do, however, support life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, three things that socialism does not. The very premise of socialism goes against everything the United States stands for. I urge everyone to remember that a vote for socialism is a vote for the Soviet Union, Venezuela, Cuba, China and Nazi Germany. It’s a vote for Stalin, Chávez, Castro, Zedong and Hitler. It’s a vote to strip your own rights from yourself, and it’s a vote for the end of a free America.

22

Sports

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Football coach overcomes cancer Jeremiah Eaton shares his inspirational story, returns to the field to play football again story and photo illustration by

lauren weber

F

or Jeremiah Eaton, the football field is a sanctuary. But in 2013, as he stood crouched at the line of scrimmage, he faced an unfamiliar opponent—himself.

At 18, Eaton thought that cancer would take his life.

Young, hungry and utterly devoted to football, Eaton began his freshman year at the Valley City State University in North Dakota with a full scholarship for football and track.

It was during his second semester that his parents drove from his hometown of Houston all the way to North Dakota. They came to tell Eaton that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and that he was to leave for treatment the next day.

Eaton’s scholarship was revoked, and during the next 153 days, he underwent back surgery, two neck surgeries and a new form of chemotherapy. His doctors informed him that he had a 30 percent chance of survival. They said that the right side of his face would likely be paralyzed, and before his first surgery, they told him he would never play football again. Sobbing, Eaton screamed, “I want to play football. I want to play football!”

Then Eaton prayed. And he knew he would play again.

“I knew it was possible,” Eaton said. “Through God, anything is possible. That is who I rely on. I’m not worried about the percentages and all that—whatever your test is saying, it might be right in the scientific world, but in the world [that] I live in, I said. “This is where I believe in miracles.” go to meditate. This Eaton just needed something to fight for, and that was football. is where I’ve always “I was at the bottom,” Eaton said. “I was at what could have gone to clear my head been the falling point of my life, but football was always my drive even if I’m by myself. and motivation because I knew—once I get on that field or if I’m I used to run routes able to get back on that field, I knew what I was going to do. I with no ball, just to be knew the talent that I was blessed with; I knew the mindset that I in that presence because was blessed with, and I just used that as a force to keep going.” loneliness is me getting Eaton recalled another time when football had rescued him. close to God.” “It saved my life twice,” Eaton said. “I guess you could say that Today, Eaton serves as the because it saved me from venturing off and going into different wide-receiver coach at ESD avenues that I could have [gone] off into, coming from where I in addition to working as an come from. And, it really kept me focused and gave me a sense of account manager at Sneaker purpose and sense of pride.”

Shields.

Eaton religiously practices what he calls a “dominate” mindset, “Just the energy that he brings which motivates him to give his full effort in everything he does. is outstanding,” head varsity football And this extends far beyond just football. coach Richard Williams In 2013, his neck surgery at a treatment center said.

“If you ever watch in Houston lasted seven and a half hours because “I WAS AT WHAT any of our game films, there’s his tumor was twice as large as the doctors COULD HAVE a guy that’s running [up and] expected. Despite being on bedrest, he still snuck BEEN THE FALLING down the field when we score a into the weight room at night. It wasn’t until he POINT OF MY LIFE, touchdown or make big plays—that started chemotherapy and lost 20 pounds that BUT FOOTBALL is him. His excitement level is off the Eaton could not physically walk. charts; he brings that to practice, [and WAS ALWAYS The same year, during Eaton’s back surgery, he] brings that to the games.”

MY DRIVE AND during which it was determined that he had stage Eaton’s “dominate” philosophy has made MOTIVATION.” two cancer, his doctors gave him the opportunity an indelible impact on his players. to stay awake or go under anesthesia during the “He taught me a lot of things about how to operation. Eaton chose to stay awake even though push through when it gets hard,” junior Cameron they could only numb his skin but not his bones.

Clendening said.

“Everything he told the team, it “It [sounded] like a drill, drilling in the wall,” really helped us translate those guidelines to school, Eaton said. “When it was going in, I couldn’t hear Jeremiah Eaton, family and other things as well.” it, but when it hit the bone, it was carving a hole.” football coach On top of his two jobs, Eaton has formed the Perhaps one of the most captivating displays Jeremiah Eaton Foundation, in which he assists and of Eaton’s grit is his unwavering positive attitude. provides mentorship for others around the world who Eaton laughed while recounting his experience are struggling with cancer.

Eaton teaches those in his foundation overcoming cancer. that the seemingly trivial joys of life are often those worth fighting “The countdown was on,” Eaton said. “I said I wasn’t leaving for.

2013 without beating it. I put it on the top of the to-do list. [It] “It becomes the little things, the hugs, the handshakes, the ain’t like I had nothing else to do, so I might as well beat cancer.”

‘I love yous,’” Eaton said “All of that [money, fame, etc.] is out But cancer by no means slowed him down. After entering the window when real life situations come into play because you remission in 153 days, he immediately returned to the field. can’t take that with you, but love is forever. Feeling loved and He received a scholarship in 2017 to play at Wayland Baptist feeling that atmosphere of [appreciation] and just enjoying life is University in Plainview, Texas where, in his only full year of college nonetheless the best feeling in the world because there’s a lot of football, he broke a school record and people that have passed on in my life that have had cancer that was named the 2017 offensive MVP, earning him a place in the were older than me and for me to be able to beat it...” school’s Hall of Fame.

Eaton began to tear up as he shared his ultimate message, Eaton attributes everything that he does to the glory of God. “Just don’t stop.

That’s what I tell them, just don’t stop.”

“As soon as I touch the field, I know God is with me,” Eaton

COLLEGE FOTBALL DAYS Varsity football wide receiver coach Jeremiah Eaton runs with the ball in a game against Texas Wesleyan University in 2017. Eaton played for Wayland Baptist University during his senior year. “It was the only full year of offensive ball I played,” Eaton said. “I knew what I was destined for—I just had to go through trials to get to that point.” photo provided by Jeremiah Eaton

Sports //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

23

COVID-19 hinders season Varsity mens lacrosse game vs. Highland Park High School moved, Texas High School Lacrosse League announces season cancelled

EAGLE

EYE With Grace Macchia interview by ava brennan

Q A

Q A photos by John Murphree

story by

lauren weber

A

nyone who has attended a varsity lacrosse game knows—the atmosphere is nothing short of spirited. In lacrosse, the school plays teams from larger conferences, creating new rivalries and substantial crowds.

In past years, the mens varsity lacrosse games against Highland Park, in particular, have caused complications for the administration, safety team and athletic directors, so this year, the game was prudently moved from a Friday night to the Wednesday night of March 11 in hopes that this change would diffuse any issues.

“The only game that we were concerned about was [the game against] Highland Park,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said.

“The Highland Park one is really tricky. Any school we play is not an issue because they bring their administrators to the games, and if it’s an away game, [Assistant Head of Upper School Jeffery Laba] and I will go. The problem with Highland Park is that it’s a club team and not a school team, so the school does not have oversight [over their students.]”

The decision to move the game specifically goes back to two years ago.

“There was a fight, [and] one of our students got punched,” Heil said. “It was not a pleasant situation for anyone. I do remember it was a nightmare for me as an administrator who wants to take care of the Upper School students here. I felt very helpless, and I know I didn’t

want to feel that way again, and way I look at it is if you lose a game [neither did] Athletic Director Dan because you’re upset [that] it’s on a Gill or Director of Campus Security different night or you’re not focused Jody Trumble.” enough because of that, we’re in The school does not have an bigger trouble.” entrance way to prevent intoxicated Sothoron put the players under fans from entering the campus, high-pressure situations and which Heil deems a security threat. stimulated adversity during practice Athletic Director Dan Gill also to help combat such issues and build noted that because the school is now resilience. united on one campus, there is more “Once the outside noise starts to consider when scheduling games. affecting you on the field, that’s However, the decision was not when you really start to go provoked by ESD students. downhill,” Sothoron said. “I think “Our students sometimes it might have been really be disappointing “IT IS IMPORTANT for some guys and great,” Heil said.

THAT OUR “There’s not a high school students, COACHES AND problem with our [they] like to be out STUDENTstudents. I mean there on a Friday yes, people aren’t night—whether ATHLETES always on their REMAIN ENGAGED it’s football or best behavior, it’s a THROUGH VIRTUAL anything. It is a fun rivalry and people atmosphere.”

TEAM MEETINGS.” make comments, To compensate but I think our for some of these students are missed Friday games, cheering the right Sothoron scheduled Dan Gill, way, and they’re competition against Athletic Director great fans.” several out-of-state Although the teams that would team lost 7-8 in have allowed the a close game on March 11, mens team to play the same number of varsity lacrosse head coach Jay Friday games as last year. However, Sothoron does not believe that due to federal and local guidelines schedule changes should never regarding COVID-19, the Texas decide a loss.

High School Lacrosse League “Quite frankly, I don’t think that cancelled the remainder of this year’s will affect us because we’re going mens lacrosse season. Junior Reed to go do what we need to do,” Landin was outside playing hockey Sothoron said. “That’s something with his brother when he received we try to prepare our kids for. The the news with 15 buzzing messages

on his phone.

“My heart dropped,” Landin said.

“I saw [that] the rest of the season was canceled, and I was hurting for the seniors. They’ve put so much effort and emphasis on this year and we were just getting started, and for it to be just taken away broke me.

Everyone was upset, but we couldn’t do anything about [that] after the fact. I think the bond our team had this year is super special, and I don’t think that’ll ever break.”

All spring sports’ seasons have not been cancelled yet, however.

“It is important that our coaches and student-athletes remain engaged through virtual team meetings, individual sport-specific instruction and regular strength/conditioning workouts provided by our dedicated staff as the timeline for return to play remains unknown,” Gill said.

Along with assigned workouts, the womens lacrosse team has engaged in online meetings and commemorated their annual game against The Hockaday School with a drawing competition between the two head coaches. Had their season continued, Sothoron says the mens lacrosse team would have been ready to return to work, as they have continued to practice at home.

“Everyone is still a little in shock, and I think in the next week or two, it will hit a little harder,” Landin said. “We are all still texting everyday, and I think we will have a conference with coach [Sothoron] here in the upcoming weeks to discuss any next steps.”

Q A

Q A

Why did you start playing?

My dad was a baseball coach, and we always went to the [Texas] Rangers games. It made me fall in love with the sport. I love how softball is somewhat an independent sport but also needs a lot of teamwork. When you go up to bat you get to be in the spotlight, but once you get in the field all your teammates are working together to get the batter out.

What position do you play and why?

I play shortstop because [I believe] they are the leader of the team, and they help control the game and keep everything in order. I have to make sure the team always knows where to throw the ball, how many outs, and just everything that’s going on.

It’s a huge role to play in the game.

What has been the biggest challenge for you in softball?

The biggest challenge for me was last season when I tore ligaments in my ankle, so I missed half of the seasons and had to recover [to] be able to run again. The hardest part for me was not being able to play and just sitting there watching. It helped my game because I got to watch from a coaches point of view and could see the whole field and what was happening.

Who has been an inspiration to you?

My dad [is an inspiration to me] because he has coached me throughout the years, helping me grow and get better as a player. He is my inspiration because he pushes me to be a better player. He makes me practice almost everyday and pays for me to have private lessons and does everything he can to make me a better player. Once a week my dad and I go to the softball field by my house and throw the ball around and play a little of the game.

24 // Sports

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Senior now two-time National Junior Clay Target Champion Arthur Lindh trains in competitive, shooting, finds new passion

1

story by

smith cochran

A

s the orange clay fires into the air, senior Arthur Lindh traces its path closely with the muzzle of his shotgun. Predicting the position of the flying disk, Lindh aims and pulls the trigger, shattering the target into smithereens.

Lindh shoots shotguns competitively for the Elm Fork Select Shooting Team, based in Dallas. He joined the team during his sophomore year. Before, he was a part of the ESD crew team.

“I almost started [shooting in] seventh grade,” Lindh said. “Before high school, I shot a lot with my dad every other Saturday. I always thought it’d be a lot of fun to do competitively, but I had just started getting into crew. I wanted to row first and then see where the wind takes me, and I ended up shooting [during] sophomore year.”

Lindh grew up hunting at a family ranch, so aiming a gun toward a target was nothing new for him.

“I grew up shooting ducks and hunting boars and coyotes,” Lindh said. “I also really like shotguns, and

it’s the only sport I could really do.

Lindh felt the physicality of the Shooting skeet—shooting at targets new sport. that are thrown in the air—versus “When I first started, I had a hunting is a different animal. The giant bruise on my left face,” Lindh targets for skeet are only off by two said. “It looked like I got socked, to five miles per hour. Birds could and it was there for a solid month go anywhere and everywhere so and a half. But, you get used to it it’s a little more after a while, and difficult.” your body doesn’t ‘FOR NATIONALS, Lindh’s family bruise.”

I SHOOT 250 ranch gave him The team shoots BIRDS A DAY accessibility to everything from WHICH IS AROUND hunting, and this skeet to shooting built a strong clays. [The Elk Fork SIX HOURS love for shooting.

Select Shooting OF SHOOTING “[My family Team] draws the JUST PULLING A has] always had best shooters from TRIGGER.” a hog issue, so if all across the Dallas I wanted to go area from each age shoot a hog, I group. Lake Highwould just go on lands High School, a walk around Highland Park with a gun and High School and Arthur Lindh, try to find a the Jesuit College senior hog,” Lindh said.

Preparatory School “I’ve had the ease are a few schools of hunting that most kids don’t.” represented in Dallas.

Joining a competitive team was “We’re not a very serious group,” a step up from shooting hogs, and Lindh said. “Though, we won

nationals the past two years. It’s a lot of fun.”

The national tournament takes place in June and takes hours of preparation.

“Starting in March, it gets really crazy,” Lindh said. “For nationals, I shoot 250 birds a day which is around six hours of shooting just pulling a trigger. It gets a little tiring after that, I just feel like I want to sleep.”

Though the hours are long, Lindh feels that it’s worth it to compete in the national tournament. He finds methodical ways to help himself going when the fatigue kicks in.

“There’s a rhythm to it, it’s very methodical which I like,” Lindh said. “You can just sit there and shoot. I find it very calming. Like exam season, I’ll go shoot the day before exams just to chill out and relax. It really helps me relax.”

There’s a future in shooting in Lindh’s sight as he gets closer to college. Starting as a hobby, Lindh took his love for shooting guns and turned it into his daily routine.

2 1. GETTING THE GOLD Senior Arthur Lindh, second from left, and his teammate win the National Junior Clay Target Championships at the National Shooting Complex in June 2019. This was the third time in a row Lindh’s team won nationals. “There’s a rhythm to it, it’s very methodical which I like,” Lindh said. “I shoot a lot of skeet, and I’m actually top 200 in the nation for my age group.”

2. IN THE ZONE Senior Arthur Lindh prepares for Super Sporting at the Texas State Championship in the National Shooting Complex in April 2019. Prior to joining a competitive shooting team, Lindh was a rower with the school but started hunting at his ranch at a young age. “I shoot probably five to six hours a week,” Lindh said. “I find [practicing] calming and it helps me relax.” photos provided by Arthur Lindh

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Sports //

25

26 // Sports

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Construction completed on new Globe Life Field in Arlington Ranger’s inagural game in $1.1 billion stadium postponed to unknown date story by

sloane hope

T

he new Globe Life Field baseball stadium in Arlington is complete almost four years after the plans for the new stadium were announced in May of 2016.

The new $1.1 billion park is a state-of-the-art facility complete with a retractable roof, air conditioning, and two giant videoboards. The cost of the park is split 50-50 between the city of Arlington and the Texas Rangers organization itself. Aligned with the entrance of the stadium are a hotel, convention center, courtyard, retail stores, restaurants and clubs, attracting more than just baseball fans to the new complex. The first game in the new stadium was scheduled to be March 23 but was delayed to a currently unknown date as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

Despite this unfortunate circumstance, Freshman Jack Massey, a huge baseball fan, is excited to see what the new stadium holds as he has visited almost every Major League Baseball stadium in the country.

“My dad and I set a goal to visit all the MLB stadiums by the time I graduate college,” Massey said.

“We’ve currently been to 23 of the 30 stadiums. We have about seven more to visit, but we will also be visiting new stadiums as they’re built.”

Massey and his dad rank the

stadiums and take notes on the things they did and didn’t like about each one.

“We rank the stadiums by the atmosphere, looks—everything,” Massey said. “In the number one spot right now is Wrigley Field in Chicago, home of the [Chicago] Cubs. We also really liked the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Stadium in San Francisco.”

Massey credits baseball to his close relationship with his dad. For Massey, traveling to each stadium has provided the opportunity to the new stadium looks a lot like bond and spend time with his dad [the Astro’s] stadium,” Massey said. in a special way. “[the Astros] cheat though, so I “It’s amazing hope [the Rangers] because we just don’t become “IN JUNE AND get to share so cheaters as well.”

JULY, IT CAN many memories Sophomore Kai GET UP TO 105 together,” Massey Robinson, however, said. “It’s just DEGREES, WHICH believes the new really cool to see stadium was a HONESTLY all the rare baseball necessary update JUST MAKES moments in so that will keep the THE GAME many different Texas Rangers as stadiums and modern as all the MISERABLE.” environments and other teams. then [get to] share “I think that it with my dad.” the old stadium Jack Massey, But Massey isn’t was out-of-date, thrilled that the freshman and a lot of other new stadium looks stadiums are similar to that of the beginning to have Houston Astros, who, this past year, roofs,” Robinson said. “So, I think were involved in a cheating scandal that they’re keeping up with all during the 2017 World Series. the other teams and that it was “Well, quite frankly, I think that eventually going to happen. I think

it’s definitely with the movement of all the other stadiums and the new wave of technology in sports.”

A large problem with the old Globe Life Field was the heat.

While the idea for a retractable roof was discussed during the building of the old stadium, it was ultimately rejected as there was a larger desire for the stadium to look as retro as possible.

“I’m really excited for the new roof and air conditioning,” Massey said. “In June and July, it can get up to 105 degrees, which honestly just makes the game miserable.”

Despite the heat, Robinson, who attends close to 50 games a season, will miss the old Globe Life Field and felt a sense of sorrow about the final game but is excited about everything the new stadium will hold.

“It was a very different kind of game because everyone knew that

PLAY BALL A rendering of the new Globe Life Field stadium in Arlington. The new stadium sits on the same lot as the old Globe Life Field, which was built in 1991 and was in operation for 28 years. The new stadium will seat approximately 40,000 spectators and the ballpark size is 1.7 million sq ft. image courtesy of the Texas Ranger’s Organization

it was gonna be the last one there, so everyone cared more about the memory than the score,” Robinson said. “But, everyone is excited because it marked a new beginning for the team. ” Massey was also in attendance at the final game at the old Globe Life Field on Sunday, Sept. 29 against the New York Yankees.

“It was almost as if everybody was attending a memorial service,” Massey said. “It was a happy day, but at the same time, it was sad. We were saying goodbye to so many memories.”

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Sports //

New tennis coach brings technical knowledge to ESD

27

GAME TIME line

story by

lauren egger

A

fter playing professional tennis for seven years and coaching at large universities, the mens tennis program director Jason Marshall has come to ESD to coach the mens team.

But aside from coaching the sport, his aim is to show the players how tennis can make them a better leader in day-today life and how to be a true teammate.

“A lot of these kids have their own private coaches, so I’m not really going in there and changing what they do day in and day out,” Marshall said. “What I want from them is to bring a lot of energy into practice. I really want them to be there for each other and [support] whatever they are doing. I want everyone to contribute in some way, whether it be fitness or team spirit or in practice and leadership.”

Marshall coached at the university level for 10 years, as assistant mens and womens coach at Wright State University from 2007 to 2008, assistant coach at Texas Christian University from 2008 to 2014 and head coach at Georgia State University from 2014 to 2018. He has never coached in a high school setting before, but he believes he is transitioning smoothly. “[High school coaching] is new to me in terms of dealing in an upper school private school setting where everything is on at an exact time, and parents are more involved,” Marshall said.

“That is definitely a learning curve for me.”

Marshall learned of the position’s opening through a mutual friend of womens tennis

program director Julia Schiller and his. He then spoke to both Schiller and Athletic Director Dan Gill and took a tour of the school.

Team captain and senior Brian Jones said that Marshall is probably one of the best tennis coaches he has ever seen from a technical standpoint and is excited for Marshall to bring his experience to the team.

“He has played a lot of professional tennis and has coached at big universities, so he really brings a good technical knowledge that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before even in private coaching,” Jones said.

Marshall played tennis throughout high school and college at Purdue University and then decided to play professionally. In high school, he was one of the top-ranked players in the state and in the nation for juniors, and he also won the Big Ten Singles championships in 1999 and 2001 and finished top 20 in the nation. He then played professionally for seven years, competing all over the world and in the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open. He reached the top 100 in the world in tennis doubles and then won seven challenger titles as well. Marshall wants to use his experience to help others excel in tennis.

“Deep down, you have to just love the game and have passion for it,” Marshall said. “I love the game, but I also love giving back to the game because it gave me so much. I also like guiding younger people in leadership skills, and tennis can teach you so much about life. [What you] learn on a tennis court are

Center

Smith’s

story by

smith cochran After nine-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, Jason Garrett will be leaving the crazy life as the head football coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Fans were ready to kick Garrett out after the Cowboys’ three-game losing streak at the beginning of the season.

This is not the first time that talk of firing Garrett has come up. He was never an elite NFL coach, but he did the one thing that was necessary for his survival—being Jerry Jones’ puppet. Mike McCarthy, the lucky new head coach, will have

to adapt to this role, as well.

McCarthy won Super Bowl XLV in 2011, and his Green Bay Packers finished first or second in their division, 10 out of his 12 seasons.

When McCarthy was fired from the Green Bay Packers in December of 2018, he was not a high-profile target for other coaching jobs. His biggest issue was the lack of creativity in his offense. He failed to utilize Aaron Rodgers’ talent to its fullest extent. Unable to do so, his offense was extremely basic, featuring very little pre-play motion. His style of offense has been labeled as predictable and conservative.

Without a Hall of Fame quarterback, who knows how successful McCarthy will be

the same things and same challenges you are going to have in life, and to be able to share that with some of [the players] and give my experience I’ve had is really a big reason why I wanted to [coach here].”

Once Marshall turned 30, he experienced shoulder and knee problems and realized his body wasn’t able to keep up with his rigorous schedule, so he turned to coaching.

“I spent about six months in Tahiti, and I was coaching the Olympic team there for a couple of weeks,” Marshall said. “I got my foot in the door. [I went on to get] two master’s degrees, one in business [from Texas A&M University] and one in sports administration [from Georgia State University.] I went through that whole program there while I coached the team.”

Marshall and Jones are focused on further improving the mens tennis program.

“This year, our goals are to get as far as we can in the SPC tournament,” Jones said. “Last year, we made it to the finals, so we are trying to see if we can get to that benchmark and maybe a little further. We are trying to work together, so our team can get some solid [players.] [We are] looking to build a strong program for more than one [year].”

National Basketball Association

Major League Soccer

March 12

Suspended season indefinitely

National Hockey League

Major League Baseball

Suspended season indefinitely

March 12

March 12 Delayed start of season NCAA

Xtreme Football League

photo provided by Jason Marshall

Mike McCarthy is the perfect replacement for Jason Garrett in Dallas? Whatever the case, it’s a good hire by the owner, president and general manager, Jerry Jones.

Offensively, McCarthy boasted one of the highest touchdown-to-turnover ratios in the NFL. Garrett’s Cowboys had nine more turnovers than touchdowns in all his seasons as head coach. In comparison, McCarthy’s Packers had 97 more touchdowns than turnovers in his tenure in Green Bay. Dallas’ offense was no doubt one of the best in the NFL when it was hitting on all cylinders.

McCarthy should bring this level of consistency to Dak Prescott and his offense.

Defensively, the front office is not doing McCarthy any favors. The Cowboys lost their

March 11

Suspended season indefinitely

best player, Byron Jones, along with other key starters. There’s no doubt the absence of veteran defensive players will make a super bid unlikely for the Boys.

McCarthy is setting the Cowboys up to be a consistent playoff team, just as his Packers were. Bringing consistency to Dallas will make him popular, but without at least one long playoff run, he may end up on the hot seat. Garrett won a total of three playoff games during his reign in Arlington. The fan base in Dallas needs more to brag about than Super Bowl rings that are twenty-five years old.

The biggest question will be if McCarthy and his staff can take advantage of the Cowboys’ talent—something Garrett could never do.

March 12

Cancelled rest of season

Professional Golf Association

March 12

Cancelled all remaining Division I Basketball Tournaments

Association of Tennis Professionals

March 12

Suspended tours and all matches

March 13

Suspended all tournaments

Olympics

March 24

Postponed games until 2021

Backpage //

Eagle Edition // April 7, 2020

Q

Q

What is your favorite quarantine actvity?

29%

31% “You”

Watching T.V.

Going on walks

Q

Your Take

Favorite type of music to listen to in quarantine?

Q

23%

12% 22%

80s

Rap

3%

Favorite type of movie to watch in quarantine?

Favorite app during quarantine?

Disney

55% Comedy

23% Action

12%

All stats are from an April 2 poll of 147 students

Country

Pop

“Stranger Things”

Q

8%

Reading

40%

31%

Best Netflix original to watch in quarantine?

53%

28

Drama

28% Snapchat

50%

Q

Do you prefer school online or in person?

65% in person

TikTok

Staying connected Community adapt to distance learning, make light of new situation story by

blair batson

Junior Sumner Wooldridge painted her face for her class over Zoom

Junior Ava Thompson set up a desk to do class in her backyard

Sophomore Virginia Nussbaumer stays focused as she learns from home photos courtesy of ESD community

Junior Emma Jerrier studies in the company of her two dogs

Junior Emma Sucato studies biology in her kitchen

In an effort to keep students and faculty safe and in compliance with state-wide orders to close schools, students began distance learning on March 24.

Sophomore Virginia Nussbaumer has felt less motivated to do work at home compared to in the classroom.

“I think that there’s less of a sense of determination [with] the school work because I’m in my home setting constantly, so I feel less pressure,” Nussbaumer said. “I feel like I’m not working as hard as I do when I’m sitting in an actual class.”

To lighten the mood during these uncertain times, junior Sumner Wooldridge has dressed up in costume and painted her face for her Zoom calls and changed her name on Zoom to various jokes.

“Not only does [this] get other people to engage more—that’s my hope at least— but it gets me to stick around and pay attention to what’s going on and see how I can improve upon a bit or think of something for the next time,” Wooldridge said. “I think in this trying time we all need a little bit of laughter to put us all at ease because we don’t know what’s happening next, but I’m gonna take advantage of this situation while I can.”